Cathay Pacific names new Middle East head of customer travel

Cathay Pacific has strengthened its regional leadership with the appointment of Abhijit Abhyankar as Head of Customer Travel and Lifestyle for the Middle East, alongside South Asia and Africa. 

 

The role will see him oversee customer travel experiences, passenger sales, marketing communications and lifestyle initiatives across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, key growth markets for the airline.

 

He will also cover India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa within the SAMEA region.

 

Based at the carrier’s regional headquarters in Mumbai, Abhyankar will lead efforts to enhance Cathay Pacific’s customer journey while expanding partnerships in sectors such as lifestyle, retail and digital engagement – areas increasingly important to Middle East travellers seeking curated and connected experiences.

 

With more than 20 years of experience in aviation and hospitality, Abhyankar brings deep knowledge of sales, marketing and customer engagement to the role. 

 

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His career with Cathay Pacific began in 2009 as Corporate Sales Manager, and since then he has held several strategic positions including Regional Head of People for SAMEA, Head of Marketing and Digital Sales – SAMEA, Regional Marketing Communications Manager – South Asia and Area Sales Manager – Northern India. 

 

He also served as Country Manager for Africa and the Indian Ocean, based in Johannesburg, expanding Cathay’s footprint in emerging markets.

 

Before joining Cathay, Abhyankar built his foundation in hospitality, working with Ambassador Hotel, Le Meridien and Holiday Inn, before moving to aviation with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and later Air France–KLM. 

 

His broad industry background, spanning both guest-centric hotels and full-service airlines, positions him to drive customer-focused strategies in a Middle East market where premium travel experiences and personalised service are in high demand.

 

For more information, visit www.cathaypacific.com