Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal’s wife no more

Anita Goyal, wife of Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal who played a key role in the management of the now-grounded airline, died here on Thursday. She was 70.

Ailing for quite some time, she died at a private hospital in the city, sources said. She is survived by husband Naresh and two children, daughter Namrata and son Nivaan Goyal.

The last rites of Anita were performed around 2 pm at the Chandanwadi crematorium in Marine Lines area. Family members and friends including industrialist Anil Ambani, Bollywood actor Shabana Azmi and her lyricist husband Javed Akhtar were present at the crematorium besides some former employees of Jet Airways, sources said.

Anita had served as non-executive vice president and a board member of Jet Airways which was grounded in April 2019 amid acute liquidity crunch after flying for 25 years.

She was in charge of key areas of revenue management and network planning at the airline when it was operational.

A former employee who had worked closely with Anita Goyal told PTI that she was completely involved in the day-to-day functioning of Jet Airways.

”Anita also used to hold meetings with representatives of aircraft makers, Boeing and Airbus, as part of her role as vice president,” he said. The Goyals stepped down from their respective positions at the airline on March 25, 2019.

In 2023, both Anita and Naresh Goyal were named as accused in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate. Naresh, once a high-flying tycoon, was arrested, and is currently on interim bail on medical grounds; Anita was never arrested.

Jet Airways is undergoing an insolvency resolution process but the final handing over of the bankrupt carrier to the winning bidder is facing legal hurdles.