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MANILA, Philippines — AirAsia Aviation Group Ltd. (AAAGL) has announced the appointment of Capt. Suresh Bangah as president and general manager of AirAsia Philippines as the airline embarks on a new era of sustainable growth.
A seasoned aviation professional with almost 30 years of experience, including over 14 years in senior leadership roles across the AirAsia Group, Bangah brings extensive operational expertise and a strong leadership track record within the AirAsia ecosystem and beyond.
He succeeds Ricky Isla, who retires after six years at the helm and will continue to serve as chief advisor to the general manager during the leadership transition.
Bangah recently served as group director of flight operations at AAAGL, and previously held key roles at AirAsia X Berhad (AAX) including chief pilot and director of flight operations.
He began his career with AirAsia in 2003 as a first officer, pilot instructor and auditor. He was also flight deck recruitment officer in AirAsia Berhad and chief pilot of operations at AAX in 2010 to director of flight operations at AAX in 2013.
“Captain Suresh steps into this role at an important juncture for AirAsia Philippines. With extensive industry experience, especially in setting the gold standard on safety and operational excellence and longstanding commitment to AirAsia’s values,” AirAsia Aviation Group CEO Bo Lingam said.
According to the CEO, Bangah is well placed to build on the strong foundations laid by Isla who navigated the airline during one of the most turbulent chapters in aviation history.
“As AirAsia progresses into our next chapter, the Philippines remains a key pillar in our regional strategy – with strong potential in inter-island connectivity, and broader regional integration into North Asia and ASEAN, working towards a medium to longer term plan to deliver affordable connectivity to the Middle East and West Coast of the US,” he said.
For his part, Bangah said he is “committed to elevating every aspect of our operations as we continue to focus on providing the very best in terms of safe, affordable and reliable air travel with inflight experience excellence for all Filipinos.”
The airline expects to expand its operational fleet to 19 aircraft this year to meet robust market demand. Alongside this development, the airline sets a load factor target of 90 percent and will continue with its demand-led network optimization initiative to drive sustainable and profitable growth.
