Flair Airlines CFO Sumanth Rao to retire January 1

Flair Airlines has announced that chief financial officer Sumanth Rao has advised the company that he will retire effective January 1, 2027.

Since joining Flair in August 2024, Rao has helped “strengthen the airline's financial foundation, improve financial discipline and governance, strengthen the company’s financial reporting and audit processes, and build a high-performing Finance organization,” the airline said in a press release..

“As a member of Flair's Executive Leadership Team, he has played an important role in the company's continued progress.”

Rao will remain with Flair through the end of the year to support a seamless transition.

A search for the airline's next chief financial officer is underway.

"On behalf of Flair, our Board of Directors and I, I want to thank Sumanth for his many contributions over the past two and a half years," said Len Corrado, president and CEO of Flair Airlines, in a press release.

"His disciplined financial stewardship, collaborative leadership and commitment to building a strong Finance organization have helped position Flair for continued success. Sumanth has often reminded us of the famous quote that running an airline is the ultimate team sport, and he has consistently led as the ultimate team player. We appreciate his professional approach in providing us with time to properly transition to his successor and wish him every happiness in retirement."

As previously reported, Rao is facing involuntary manslaughter charges dating back to 2024 in connection with a fatal crash involving an underage driver who had been drinking at his Atlanta-area home.

At the time, Flair told the Canadian Press that it was aware of the situation and had put measures in place "to ensure operational continuity" as the court case unfolds against Rao.

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