India’s second largest budget airline SpiceJet Ltd is set to strengthen its top management team with Shilpa Bhatia set to join it as its new Chief Commercial Officer.
Bhatia has been with SpiceJet as its chief of sales and revenue for few years before moving to IndiGo as its chief sales and revenue officer last year. She quit the firm this month.
“We are expecting her to join in February” a person aware of the matter who did not wished to be named said, “There are likely to be some other shuffle too including reporting changes.”
Under Bhatia, IndiGo saw its flight occupancy cross 90%. The third quarter revenue numbers are also set to be released on Monday.
IndiGo, bracing for an extraordinary general meeting called by one of its promoters Rakesh Gangwal after the board meeting next week, hasn’t officially made any personnel announcements so far though its CEO has informed the leadership of the changes.
“Shilpa has resigned and I would like to thank her for her valuable contributions during her short tenure with IndiGo,” IndiGo CEO Rono Dutta said a leadership email on 21st January which has been reviewed by ET.
Bhatia whose last day at IndiGo is 31st January declined comments for the story.
As chief commercial officer, Bhatia, would join SpiceJet at a tough time when its chairman Ajay Singh is trying to handle the expansion vacuum created by the delay of Boeing 737 MAX to take on fast-growing rival IndiGo.
SpiceJet has around 15% of the domestic market share with around 115 planes in its fleet (of which 13 MAX are grounded) while IndiGo has around 47% of the market with its 250 plane-fleet.
