At a Glance: Sharath Sashikumar, Director of Fleet, Frontier Airlines

Note: This is an article highlight from the Winter 2024 Issue of Jetrader. To view the full magazine, including past issues, please visit the ISTAT website.

Jetrader: What do you like most about the aviation industry?

Sharath Sashikumar (SS): As a youngster, space and the fascination behind the unknown is what drew me toward a career in aviation. Over the years, that fascination developed into wanting to create a tangible impact on the industry that is responsible for a very important role of connecting the world and making it seem smaller than it actually is. Being part of an airline and being able to interact with almost all the different types of businesses that keep this industry thriving has been enlightening and exciting at the same time. I can confidently say it is one of the few industries around where every single day is a new learning experience — it forces you to keep evolving and pushing yourself to stay ahead.

Jetrader: What is the most challenging part of your profession?

(SS): My current role is mainly building relationships and negotiating contracts primarily with lessors that finance our new aircraft deliveries. One of the challenges with the role is understanding and appreciating the various factors that influence the ability of different lessors to be competitive at different points in time. The most challenging and also my favorite part of the role is being creative when it comes to problem-solving, whether it is during a negotiation or after the contract is already in place. The end result is always a mutually beneficial solution, but achieving that solution requires creativity from both parties, and that is certainly both challenging and exciting.?

Jetrader: Who has had the greatest influence on your career?

(SS): It is very hard for me to credit one person for their role in helping to shape me and pushing me to be where I am today. Starting from the constant support I received from my family to pursue this dream of mine, to all of my professors at Embry-Riddle who guided me and supported me during my time in a new country, to all the interviews that did not go as planned, to the one most important interview at Frontier Airlines that was a crucial stepping stone to my career in aviation and to all the people at Frontier that believed in me and handed me responsibilities that gave me the opportunity to explore as well as prove my potential — all of these people/experiences have molded me into who I am? today and who I aspire to be going forward.

Jetrader: What was your first job?

(SS): My first full-time job was as a corporate financial analyst at Frontier Airlines in early 2017. While I was at Embry-Riddle, I was involved in multiple research related projects as well as my first professional work experience with LeaseWorks during one of the summers. The background and detail that were instilled in me from the research projects I did set me up for success during the brief stint with LeaseWorks and subsequently at my first job with Frontier Airlines as well.?

Jetrader: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the industry?

(SS): The aviation industry, as big as it seems to be, is one of the most tight-knit industries in the world. Make all the connections you can and build meaningful relationships that will carry on as you grow in your career. Never be afraid of learning and re-learning as you grow, and never let go of the passion that drove you to this exciting industry. It is a very exciting time to be a part of an industry that is undergoing so many changes. To know that you developed your career as the industry evolved will be very rewarding.