Jet Airways acting CEO Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan quits, top-level exodus continues

The top-level exodus at Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways continued today, with chief financial officer and acting CEO Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan quitting.

"Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan, chief financial officer and acting chief executive of the company, has resigned from the services with effect from today," Jet Airways said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The company did not give a reason for the resignation, which comes less than four months after Gopalakrishnan took over additional responsibility as CEO following the departure of Garry Toomey in mid-January.

Gopalakrishnan had put in his papers last month and was supposed to serve until May 5, sources said, adding that he chose to leave three days earlier.

He is the third top executive in the past year to part ways with the private airline, in which Gulf carrier Etihad Airways now holds a 24 per cent stake.

Immediately after Jet announced the signing of the deal with Etihad last April, then CEO Nikos Kardassis quit, reportedly in protest against being sidelined during the protracted negotiations.

The Mumbai-based airline brought in Toomey, an Australian considered close to Etihad CEO and President James Hogan, in June. He quit after a little over six months.