Vinay Dube
Vinay Dube has been appointed the newest chief executive officer of Jet Airways, the company announced this week. Photo: AP 

MUMBAI (Diya TV) — Jet Airways India this week named Vinay Dube, a veteran of the aviation industry with experience spanning nearly three decades, as its newest chief executive officer.

The position at the airline has sat empty for more than two years since its previous chief executive, Cramer Ball, resigned his post. The Mumbai-based carrier appointed Gaurang Shetty as the acting interim CEO in early 2016, who was ultimately replaced by Amit Agarwal, the company’s chief financial officer.

Dube most recently served as the senior vice president of Asia Pacific operations with Delta Airlines, a company that has remained one of the world’s largest and most profitable operations in the industry. During his decade-long career at Delta, Dube helped the airline profitably expand its Asia-Pacific business.

Dube has “an established track record of business restructuring at large, complex, multi-national organizations,” Jet Airways said in a statement.

Dube’s appointment comes at a time when the company is confronting competitive pressure and low yields in its business. On Tuesday, India’s second largest passenger airline said its net profit for the March quarter had slumped by 91 percent, the lowest since March of 2015. These results come amid rising costs of jet fuel, lower airfares and a weak demand of flights in the key Gulf region.

In his role as chief executive, Dube will be charged with strengthening the airline’s overall business performance and its position in the domestic and international markets. He will also head the airline’s executive management team that has been tasked by the board of directors to drive the company’s growth and future strategy by leveraging its partnership with equity partner Etihad Airways.

“I am delighted that Vinay Dube will be joining Jet Airways as its chief executive officer. An Indian American, Vinay brings an enviable combination of smart and sharp mindset with global exposure to industry best practices,” said Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal. “I am sure Jet Airways will gain substantially from his wealth of experience and industry insight. I personally look forward to Vinay providing leadership to the entire Jet Airways team.”