Brent Pinheiro
[email protected]
Just seven months after taking up the top job at Caribbean Airlines, Nirmala Ramai’s tenure as acting CEO ended on April 13. Varma Khillawan, the company’s Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering, will step into the role for three months.
According to an internal memo seen by Guardian Media, Khillawan’s appointment as acting CEO took effect on April 14. Khillawan is a seasoned airline industry professional and has previously served as Vice President of Human Resources. It was not immediately clear whether Ramai will return to her duties as Chief Operating Officer. The position of CEO was last held by Garvin Medera, who departed the company last October.
The move comes days after Caribbean Airlines was reassigned from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, making the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation its line ministry. Minister Eli Zakour now has responsibility for the airline. He met with some of Caribbean Airlines’ board members on April 14.
In a brief WhatsApp message to Guardian Media earlier this week, Zakour said, “My priority is to address the airline’s financial challenges, strengthen operational efficiency, and improve service delivery to the travelling public, while strengthening the airline’s role in national, regional, and international connectivity.”
He is expected to visit the company’s headquarters today.
