Gurugram-based Brightsun Travel has appointed Chetan Sharma as Manager – Air Products (APAC & Middle East), as it looks to strengthen its airline supplier relationships and grow its air travel portfolio. Sharma will lead airline supplier engagement, develop commercial partnerships and expand access to airline content across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Sharma has more than 16 years of experience across aviation, travel and hospitality, with a background in corporate and trade sales, key account management and business development. He most recently served as Key Account Manager at ITA Airways in Delhi, managing relationships with corporate clients, travel management companies, travel agents, consolidators and tour operators. His earlier roles include Account Manager at Qatar Airways, Assistant Manager at Vistara and Sales Executive at Jet Airways, alongside positions at STIC Travels and InterGlobe businesses. He also worked as Sales Manager at DoubleTree by Hilton in Toronto, handling corporate accounts and relationships with online travel agencies. His work has included negotiating corporate fare agreements and commercial contracts, developing travel trade partnerships and coordinating with revenue management, marketing and operations teams.

At Brightsun, Sharma will focus on building strategic airline partnerships, improving access to competitive fares and ancillary products, and supporting New Distribution Capability (NDC) and modern airline retailing initiatives. His remit will support the company’s growth plans across APAC and the Middle East, alongside its wider international airline partnerships.

“I am excited to join Brightsun Travel and look forward to working closely with airline partners to strengthen our relationships and expand our product offering. My focus will be on creating commercial opportunities that benefit our partners and delivering greater choice and value to travel agents, corporate clients and travellers,” Sharma said.

Deepak Nangla, Managing Director, Brightsun Travel, added: “We are delighted to welcome Chetan to the Brightsun family. His extensive airline industry knowledge and strong supplier relationships make him an excellent addition to our leadership team. As we continue to expand our airline content and strengthen our global partnerships, Chetan will play a vital role in delivering enhanced commercial opportunities and supporting our long-term growth strategy in Middle East and Asia.”

The company says the appointment forms part of its investment in supplier engagement and strategic airline alliances across India, the Middle East, Europe and other international markets, through which it aims to offer customers and trade partners greater choice, competitive fares and additional travel products.