Kingfisher Airlines appoints Sanjay Aggarwal as CEO

"We have appointed Sanjay Aggarwal as our (Kingfisher Airlines) CEO with immediate effect," an airline spokesperson said.

Aggarwal is the former CEO of SpiceJet, another private air-carrier.He is credited with steering SpiceJet into profits in FY'10, the first time since its inception in 2005. Aggarwal quit the airline in July this year after media baron Kalanithi Maran bought a 37.7 per cent stake from US investor Wilbur Ross. Maran is now gearing up to make an open offer for acquiring 20 per cent additional equity.

According to airline industry observers, Aggarwal will have the tough task of turning around the bleeding Kingfisher Airlines.As of March, 2010, the air-carrier's debt stood at Rs 6,000 crore, the largest for any domestic private air-carrier. It had posted a loss of Rs 1,647 crore in FY'10.