About

The huge expansion of airline operations in the Middle East, especially the GCC states, has been one of the most obvious success stories of the region’s economic plan over the past two decades. Dubai based carrier flydubai, in contrast with other UAE-based carriers Etihad and Emirates who tend towards a blue-chip product with a correspondingly higher price tag attached, fill the region’s need for low-cost, high-volume air travel provided by a large number of smaller jets. In common with the national carriers, however, flydubai has made huge investments in cutting-edge aircraft, and recently took delivery of their first Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with another 75 of these brand-new machines on order. The multi-billion US dollar deal to acquire these jets was presided over by general counsel and senior vice president Krishan Sinnadurai, and is just one example of the complex and high-value projects that a GC at a major airline has to oversee. Sinnadurai has been with the carrier almost from its inception and established the legal function for the airline – growing the legal team to 13 lawyers at present and counting, and ensuring that the legal function is core to the commercial workings of the entire organisation, advising on all manner of projects – legal and commercial alike. He has been at the helm of other large projects for the airline, including the airline’s launch of business class in 2013, its first bond issuance (an Islamic Sukuk) in November 2014 of $500m (oversubscribed), the growth and expansion of the flydubai network to over 93 destinations in 44 countries, major aircraft finance deals on a variety of financing structures, a large scale project financing, and the recently-announced Emirates-flydubai cooperation. Additionally, Sinnadurai has crisis management, brand and reputation management experience – continuing to lead all aspects of the airlines response (including the investigation and all aspects of compensation, legal liability and litigation strategy) following flydubai’s tragic accident of flight FZ 981 in March 2016. Sinnadurai has immense experience in the aviation sector, having been senior legal counsel for Emirates before moving to flydubai in January 2011. Prior to moving to Dubai in 2008, Sinnadurai was a senior lawyer at a top Australian law firm and had also worked in the Australian Government sector in legal and public trade policy capacities.