People

Wessling, 15 July 2026: Deutsche Aircraft has appointed Johan Landin as its Sales Director. In this role, Landin will lead the commercial growth, customer engagement and global market development of the D328eco and D328MR (Multi-Role) aircraft programmes. With an extensive background in aerospace, defence and international business development, Landin joins Deutsche Aircraft from the Saab Group in Sweden, where he has held senior commercial and leadership positions over more than 15 years. His experience includes roles as Campaign Director for the Gripen fighter aircraft, Head of Marketing & Sales for Air Traffic Management, and most recently, Country Manager, overseeing the full breadth of Saab’s product portfolio. Throughout his career, Landin has consistently delivered innovative technology solutions, identified new business opportunities and led strategic development activities across complex international markets. With a track record in navigating regulatory environments, coordinating international stakeholders and guiding customers through transformational journeys, Landin offers a unique perspective on cultivating long-term customer relationships and delivering value-driven solutions in both commercial and multi-role sectors. As a commercial pilot who has flown regional turboprop aircraft and operated his own pilot recruitment agency, Landin also brings invaluable firsthand insight to the role. This real-world experience, combined with his corporate leadership skills, reflects his passion and expertise in aviation. “I am excited to join the team at such an interesting time,” said Johan Landin, Sales Director at Deutsche Aircraft. “I look forward to contributing my experience to drive the commercial growth of the revolutionary D328eco aircraft and support the next phase of regional aviation.” Anastasija Visnakova, Chief Commercial Officer at Deutsche Aircraft, welcomed the appointment. “Johan brings a unique combination of experience, from international sales in the aerospace industry to firsthand operational expertise as a commercial pilot,” she said. “His leadership will be instrumental as we expand our global footprint and deliver innovative solutions to our customers.” “Johan’s experience across aerospace, multi-role and commercial aviation makes him an excellent addition to our sales team,” added Nils Heuer, Director Global Sales at Deutsche Aircraft. “His customer-centric mindset, background as a pilot, and international business expertise will strengthen our engagement with operators and partners as we scale the market presence of the D328eco programme.” With Landin on board, the team is strengthening its commercial capabilities across both civilian and defence sectors for the D328eco and D328 Multi-Role (MR) aircraft programmes. .

Bangalore, July 15, 2026:  Honeywell Aerospace has announced the appointment of Vijay Yaram as the company’s new country leader for India, effective immediately.In the newly created role, Vijay will serve as Honeywell Aerospace’s external enterprise leader in India, driving indigenous and decoupled growth, strengthening local partnerships and advancing Honeywell Aerospace’s India growth strategy. “There’s no better individual than Vijay to lead our next phase of growth in India,” said Ben Driggs, chief commercial and strategy officer at Honeywell Aerospace. “By appointing Vijay to this role, we’re building on our deliberate leadership investments in India. This is a key priority as we embark on this new chapter as a standalone company.” “I’ve seen firsthand how many opportunities the Indian market has for long-term commercial and defense growth. India is the world’s third largest domestic aviation market and the country’s domestic airline capacity has already doubled over the past decade,” Vijay said. During the past five years at Honeywell Aerospace, Vijay has built a strong track record of delivering commercial wins with operational discipline and a deep focus on customers. Most recently, he led the Commercial Excellence, Strategy & Marketing function in India, where he built a high-performing team and delivered results exceeding the annual operating plan. In that role, he also played a pivotal role in shaping strategic investment initiatives to further strengthen Honeywell Aerospace’s market position in the region. On June 29, Honeywell Aerospace separated from Honeywell to become an independent company. The company is one of the largest publicly traded, pure-play aerospace and defense suppliers, with leading positions in technology and systems that will continue to drive the future of aviation with a focus on safety, autonomy and electrification.

Sweden, 18th June 2026: Aviator Airport Alliance, a full-range provider of aviation services and part of Avia Solutions Group, has appointed Minna Virmajoki as Managing Director of its Finnish operations. Virmajoki, who joined Aviator Finland in 2023 as Finance Director and most recently served as Interim Managing Director, steps into the role with a strong background in finance and business leadership. Before entering aviation, Virmajoki built a long and diverse career across other industries, gaining broad leadership, finance and business experience. Since joining Aviator in 2023, she has worked closely with the company’s teams and customers in Finland, taking on growing responsibility before stepping up to lead the operation. “Aviator’s motto ‘For every take-off’ reflects our commitment to reliability, safety, and teamwork in everything we do. Every flight depends on the work we deliver on the ground, and that responsibility is something we take great pride in,” Virmajoki said. “My focus will be on strengthening our operational excellence, developing our people, and building an open, collaborative culture where continuous improvement is part of our everyday work. I am excited about what we can achieve together.” Jo Alex Tanem, CEO of Aviator Airport Alliance, commented on the appointment: “Minna has already shown what she can do leading Aviator Finland through a period of change, and she has earned the trust of both her team and our customers. I have every confidence she will take the operation from strength to strength. I would also like to thank Kimmo Holopainen, who led Aviator Finland as Managing Director, for his contribution and wish him all the best for the future.”

Orly, France, June 8, 2026:  The Board of Directors of Daher, chaired by Thibault Scaramanga, has decided to establish a strengthened executive leadership structure, composed of a Chief Executive Officer and Aymeric Daher, the Executive Deputy CEO – reflecting a commitment to complementary leadership and continuity. The Board appointed Michel Denis as the Group’s Chief Executive Officer beginning July 1. He has  held several senior executive positions in demanding industrial and service-sector environments. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Manitou Group, a family-owned company. “Michel Denis brings top-tier industrial expertise to Daher, both in leading corporate transformations and in managing the stakeholders of a family-owned business,” said Thibault Scaramanga, Chairman of the Daher Board of Directors. “He also will bring a fresh perspective to our Executive Committee. Together with Aymeric Daher, whose knowledge of the aerospace ecosystem is unparalleled, they will form a complementary and ambitious leadership team dedicated to the Group’s development – today and for the future.” Michel Denis stated, “I would like to thank the Board of Directors for its confidence. It is with great pride and a deep sense of responsibility that I join the Daher Group. Its global stature, family roots, long-term and responsible vision, and leading market position are all remarkable strengths. Mindful of the value of this heritage, I will fully dedicate myself to ensuring its continued prosperity.” Thibault Scaramanga will continue to serve as the Daher Group’s Interim Chief Executive Officer in coordination with Aymeric Daher and the entire Executive Committee until Michel Denis assumes his duties on July 1.

Singapore, 2nd June 2026: Alton Aviation Consultancy has announced the appointment of Jeffrey Goh as a Managing Director in its Singapore office, where he will strengthen the firm’s global airline advisory practice. Jeffrey brings more than 30 years of international aviation experience across airline leadership, alliance strategy, industry engagement and commercial transformation. Adam Cowburn, Managing Director at Alton Aviation Consultancy, says: “We are delighted to welcome Jeffrey to Alton’s senior team, strengthening our ability to serve airline clients around the world with strategic, well-informed advisory services. His deep experience and knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing the sector will be hugely beneficial to clients navigating an increasingly competitive market.” Jeffrey adds: “Alton has built a strong reputation for combining deep aviation and aerospace expertise with practical, results-oriented advisory support. I’m pleased to be part of the firm at a time of significant change for airlines globally and look forward to providing clients with strategic counsel, while working alongside a fantastic team of advisors.” Prior to Alton, Jeffrey served as Group Chief Executive Officer at Gulf Air Group and before that served as Chief Executive Officer at Star Alliance, leading a period of strategic growth and digital transformation. At the Gulf Air Group, he was instrumental in the network recalibration and customer experience transformation of the airline. During his tenure at Star Alliance, he worked closely with member airline CEOs and leadership teams across network strategy, alliance development, customer experience, and operational collaboration. Previously, he held senior leadership positions at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), where he represented airline interests and led industry engagement on policy, regulation, sustainability, and aviation development initiatives. The announcement comes as Alton continues enhancing its capabilities and expertise to it support growing demand from airline clients navigating a complex operating environment while pursuing long-term growth.

Mumbai, 15th April 2026: Chapman Freeborn has appointed Danish Cutleriwala as Country Manager India, further strengthening its leadership presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation and logistics markets. Based in Mumbai, Danish Cutleriwala will lead Chapman Freeborn’s operations in India, with a focus on driving commercial growth across cargo and passenger charter services, while expanding the company’s footprint through strategic partnerships and enhanced customer engagement. He joins Chapman Freeborn from Sciens Logistics, where he served as Country Manager, APAC & Middle East. “India is a strategically important market for Chapman Freeborn, offering significant opportunities for growth across both cargo and passenger charter services. Danish’s extensive industry expertise, strong commercial acumen and deep understanding of the regional market make him ideally positioned to lead our operations in India and support our long-term expansion plans.” – said Linas Dovydenas, President – IMEA at Chapman Freeborn “I am excited to join Chapman Freeborn at a time of strong global growth for the business. India presents immense potential, and I look forward to working with the team to strengthen our market presence, build strategic partnerships and deliver tailored charter solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.” – adds Danish Cutleriwala, Country Manager India at Chapman Freeborn.

Sao Paulo, Brazil, 13th April, 2026: Embraer’s board of directors has appointed Felipe Santana Santiago de Lima as Executive Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations, effective April 13. He currently serves as Embraer’s global director of treasury and has spent 18 years at the company, holding leadership roles across financial operations, treasury, insurance, customer finance and shared services. During his career, he has developed deep expertise in corporate finance and treasury, with significant exposure to capital markets, liability management, aircraft financing, investor and bank relations, and risk management, supporting strategic decision making and long term value creation. Felipe Santana holds a degree in International Relations from Fundação Escola de Comércio Álvares Penteado (FECAP) and a Certified Financial Management (CFM) credential from Insper. He has completed executive education programs at Fundação Dom Cabral, Harvard University, and Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV). In 2022, he was named one of the “20 Finance Leaders to Watch” by the Finance Career Perspective Yearbook (Insper and Assetz). The company said the appointment ensures continuity in its financial leadership and supports the execution of its strategy and business plan. “Felipe Santana is a highly respected leader within Embraer and has been developed for senior leadership roles,” said Francisco Gomes Neto, president and CEO of Embraer. “His appointment reinforces our confidence in the company’s strategy and our focus on sustainable growth.”

Mumbai, April 10, 2026: Thomas Cook India has announced the elevation of Deepti Sheth as President & Group Head – Human Resources, reinforcing its focus on strengthening leadership and people strategy across the Group. In her new role, Deepti will lead the Group HR function, shaping the organisation’s people strategy with a focus on talent, leadership development and employee experience, while also advancing its diversity, inclusion and digital transformation agenda. Her elevation marks a significant milestone in a decade-long journey with the Group, during which she has played a pivotal role in strengthening HR frameworks and embedding people practices aligned to business growth. Deepti Sheth as President & Group Head – Human Resources at Thomas Cook (India) Limited said, “I am honoured to take on this role at an exciting phase for the Thomas Cook India Group. Our people remain at the heart of our success, and I look forward to building on our strong foundation—strengthening talent, enhancing employee development, and fostering a culture of innovation, inclusion and high performance. As we scale, our focus will be on building dynamic, future-ready teams, strengthening leadership capability and creating a differentiated employee experience that supports sustained growth.”

New Delhi, 2nd April 2026: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) gets the new Director General as Vir Vikram Yadav, a 1996-batch IAS officer. He replaced Faiz Ahmed Kidwai as part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle announced on March 31, 2026.The change was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet of the Govt. of India. Vir Vikram Yadav was posted as an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai has been moved to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) as Additional Secretary. “Shri Vir Vikram Yadav, IAS (OR:96), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change as Director General, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Civil Aviation in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary to the Government of India by keeping the Recruitment Rules of the post in abeyance vice Shri Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, IAS (MP:96) upon his appointment as Additional Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training. Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions,” the order read.

Astana, 1st April 2026: Air Astana Chief Financial Officer(CFO) Ibrahim Canliel who has been elevated in his role has assumed the airlines group as it new Chief Executive Officer.He has served as the airline’s CFO since 2017 and over the previous 14 years was a member of the leadership team that shaped the carrier’s strategic and financial development, which culminated in it becoming a UK and Kazakhstan publicly listed company in 2024. In the new CEO capacity , Ibrahim Canliel will focus on strengthening operational resilience, supporting sustainable growth and advancing the Group’s dual-brand strategy across Air Astana and FlyArystan. On his appointment Ibrahim Canliel stated, “I am delighted and feel privileged to take the helm as CEO of the Air Astana Group today. Whilst this is a significant milestone personally, it also provides continuity to all our 7,000 employees and stakeholders.” “The Air Astana Group is the clear leader in Central Asia and the Caucasus; not only from a fleet and passenger numbers perspective, but also in operational standards, service levels and international coverage. It is my commitment to protect and enhance our founding principles: ensuring the highest global operational, safety and services standards; preserving the utmost level of corporate governance; and maintaining commercial and financial independence.” “Our location, with almost half of the World’s population living in our vicinity, gives us a unique strategic advantage that we are committed to harness. I am excited to have the opportunity to write the next chapter of the success story and to further strengthen our position as the airline of choice for travel in our region.”