In an unexpected move, Jet Airways Chief Executive Officer Gary Kenneth Toomey today resigned with immediate effect, barely six months after his appointment.
The Naresh Goyal-promoted private carrier named Chief Financial Officer Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan as Acting CEO for the time being.
"I have enjoyed my time at Jet Airways working with the Chairman, the management team and the wonderful staff. I am confident that the company will be successful in the future," Toomey said in a late night release.
Toomey was appointed the airline CEO only last June on a three-year contract. It is, however, not yet known what led to the sudden exit of Toomey.
Reacting to the resignation, Jet Chairman Goyal said: "I would like to thank Gary Toomey for his invaluable contribution over the last six months, which was a period of great change for Jet Airways."
Prior to joining the Indian carrier, Toomey had served as President and Chief Executive of Air New Zealand Group and CEO of Airlines PNG in Papua New Guinea.
Toomey, an Australian, was made the Chief Executive after the then CEO Nikos Kardassis parted ways with airline over reported differences with Goyal on the issue of Jet's stake sale to the Gulf carrier Etihad.
Kardassis' resignation was announced immediately after Jet agreed to sell a 24 per cent stake for Rs 2,058 crore to Etihad last April. The deal was finally concluded last November, though it has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
Gopalakrishnan will serve as the Acting Chief Executive until the airline board selects a new person for the top job, the release said.
