Neelu Khatri exits Akasa Air as Co-Founder and SVP

New Delhi: Neelu Khatri, Co-Founder and Senior Vice-President at Akasa Air, has stepped down from the airline, marking the end of her association with the carrier she helped build as part of its founding team.

In a LinkedIn post announcing her departure, Khatri reflected on the journey of setting up the airline and acknowledged the role played by employees and customers in shaping the brand. “Building this airline as part of the founding team has been a journey defined by heart,” she wrote.

She credited the team for navigating operational challenges and early turbulence, adding that employees had “turned a vision into a reality, standing tall through turbulence and operational challenges”.

Khatri also referred to the airline’s future fleet plans, noting, “With 196 aircrafts more to be added in the future, I am sure of our sturdy growth that is yet to come. Akasa as a brand has truly arrived!”

As part of her farewell, she shared a personal gesture from colleagues, describing a piece of aircraft engine blade, removed after a bird hit, that had been turned into a keepsake. She called it “a beautiful lifelong possession”.

Signing off, Khatri wrote, “As I step down, I leave with a heart full of respect and gratitude,” adding, “Thank you for the privilege of being part of a legendary team, and thank you for giving Akasa its wings.”

Outside Akasa, she is also Managing Director at BluOrange Synergies and has previously held senior leadership roles in aerospace, defence and advisory services, including at Honeywell Aerospace and KPMG.