Spicejet ex-CEO Sanjay Aggarwal joins Kingfisher Airline

NEW DELHI - Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) has appointed former SpiceJet Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Aggarwal in the same capacity.

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Sanjay Aggarwal as Chief Executive Officer of Kingfisher Airlines Limited with immediate effect,” said Vijay Mallya, chairman and managing director, Thursday.

Mallya will continue in his current role as chairman and managing director, while Aggarwal will directly report to him, the airline said in a statement.

“All executive vice presidents and other officers currently reporting to me will, henceforth, report directly to Sanjay,” Mallya said.

Mallya praised Aggarwal for making Spicejet profitable for the first time in 2009-10, after five years of operations.

Aggarwal had quit as CEO of the budget carrier Spicejet on July 1, a month after Kalanithi Maran’s Kal Airways Pvt. Ltd acquired 38 percent stake in the company.

He had joined SpiceJet in 2008 after serving as chief operating officer (COO) of US-based private jet provider Flight Options Inc.