Caribbean Airlines (CAL) appointed Varma Khillawan as its new acting Chief Executive Officer, effective April 14, 2026. Khillawan, who previously served as the Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering, will lead the state-owned carrier for an initial period of three months while the board of directors searches for a permanent successor. This is coming after Nirmala Ramai stepped down from her role as acting CEO after 7 months.
According to The Guardian, the move comes mere days after CAL was reassigned from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, making Minister Eli Zakour its new line minister. Zakour met with some of CAL’s board members on Tuesday.
In a brief WhatsApp message to Guardian Media earlier this week, Zakour said, “My priority is to address the airline’s financial challenges, strengthen operational efficiency, and improve service delivery to the travelling public, while strengthening the airline’s role in national, regional, and international connectivity.”
