Akasa Air appoints Belson Coutinho as its chief operating officer

National: Akasa Air has announced the appointment of Belson Coutinho as its chief operating officer (COO), effective from January 6, 2025. He will lead Akasa Air’s crucial operations.

He will be responsible for inflight services, airport services, maintenance & engineering, flight operations, IOCC, and operational excellence while also spearheading Akasa Air Learning Academy.

Commenting on the appointment, Vinay Dube, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Akasa Air, said, “We are delighted to have Belson step into the role of Akasa Air’s chief operating officer. His multifaceted role over the years had him successfully collaborate with cross-functional teams across airline operations, developing a good understanding of the functioning of operational departments”.

Belson has been a part of Akasa Air’s executive committee since the airline’s inception in 2022. Before assuming the co-founder and chief operating officer role, he held the position of co-founder and chief marketing & experience officer at Akasa Air.

The carrier currently connects with 22 domestic and five international cities, namely Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Lucknow, Goa, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Port Blair, Ayodhya, Gwalior, Srinagar, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Doha (Qatar), Jeddah, Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Kuwait City (Kuwait).

Akasa Air launched its first commercial flight on August 7, 2022 to support the growing demand across India and commenced international operations on March 28, 2024, offering non-stop flights from Mumbai to Doha.