Vistara appoints Vinod Kannan to replace Leslie Thng as CEO from January 2022

Vistara has appointed Vinod Kannan as the Chief Executive Officer with effect from January 1, 2022. The current CEO Leslie Thng will move to a senior position at Singapore Airlines in January.

Kannan, the current Chief Commercial Officer at Vistara, joined the full-service carrier in June 2019 as Chief Strategy Officer. He also performs Network Planning, Revenue Management, Marketing, Customer Experience and Cabin Service functions at the airline.

Kannan holds a master’s degree in business administration from the National University of Singapore and the University of California, Los Angeles. He started his career with Singapore Airlines in 2001 and held various senior positions in the airline. Prior to joining Vistara, he served as Chief Commercial Officer for Scoot, the budget airline subsidiary of the Singapore Airlines Grou.

“Leslie has led the airline through a significant phase, with the start of international operations and the entry into service of various aircraft including the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Vinod will lead Vistara in its next phase of growth, building on the strong foundation laid by Leslie,” Vistara’s Chairman Bhaskar Bhat said.

Vistara is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited. The airline, which commenced operations in 2015, now has a fleet of 48 aircraft, including 37 Airbus A320, three Airbus A321neo, six Boeing 737-800NG, and two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.