From Floppy Disks to Serverless cloud Computing: Inspiring Journey in Travel and Aviation Technology
Manoj Srivastava’s journey through the world of technology can be summed up with one powerful line: “From 5.4” floppy disks to Cloud S3 and Glacier storage.” Over the past 30 years, he has seen and led some of the most exciting changes in the aviation and travel tech industry. From humble beginnings to becoming a digital leader, his story is a great example of how curiosity, hard work, and a passion for innovation can take you far.
Manoj began his career in May 1991 without any background in airlines. His first job was at Air Sahara, where he was assigned to implement and manage legacy systems like SITA Gabriel, IBE, RM, DCS, Crew scheduling, and GDS (Global Distribution System). Though he didn’t know much about aviation at first, he worked hard to learn everything about airline operations. Over the next ten years, he became an expert in passenger systems, airport IT, and critical on-ground technologies, laying a strong foundation for his future roles.
Moving forward, he joined Delhi International Airport (DIAL), part of the GMR Group, where he gained experience on the airport side of operations. He worked on systems like FIDS (flight info displays), baggage handling, check-in counters display, and resource planning. He also worked closely with airline partners and government and non-government agencies like DGCA, IATA, SITA, ATC, BCAS etc. This role helped him understand how all parts of the Airport ecosystem work together from take-off to landing and beyond.
Manoj then took on a leadership role at Paramount Airways, a start-up airline based in Chennai. He helped build the entire IT setup from scratch everything from booking and operations to HR, finance, and call centre. This experience taught him how to plan, build, and align technology with business goals.
Later, he joined IBM, where he worked in a global corporate environment. Here, he associated with global airlines account, consulting for multi-billion dollars airlines project, learned about large and structured IT systems, service delivery, and compliance. As a SMEs in airline systems, he also improved his communication, project management, and leadership skills.
Manoj returned to the aviation industry with RAK Airways in the UAE. He played a key role in relaunching the airline applications, migrating and implementing a new Passenger Service System (PSS), managing integrations across departments, and strengthening cybersecurity. Even under tight deadlines, he delivered results and built systems that supported the airline’s growth.
Manoj also got an opportunity to work with FlyDubai team, one of the region’s fastest-growing airlines based in Dubai, UAE, Manoj led several major upgrades. He provides industry insights and helps for modernization of legacy PSS into new generation PSS solution for FlyDubai, moved key systems to the cloud, introduced mobile services, improved disaster recovery, and enhanced customer-facing technologies. He also helped the airline meet international security standards like PCI-DSS and ISO. He then joined MindTree, where he helped design and build technology solutions for global travel companies. He worked with modern software practices like APIs, Agile, and DevOps. This role helped him grow into a strong product strategist, creating smart, scalable, and customer-friendly solutions. Manoj worked on IATA’s NDC (New Distribution Capability). He helped airlines shift from old-school EDIFACT systems to newer, open, and flexible platforms that made it easier to work with travel agents and offer better services to customers.
Manoj also played key role as CIO with EaseMyTrip, one of India’s leading online travel platforms. He has led major digital transformation efforts, improved automation, upgraded core systems, and introduced AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics. He also made sure that the company meets important data privacy and security standards like PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, GDPR, and India’s DPDPA.
Throughout his career, Manoj has evolved with the technologies he worked on from floppy disks to serverless computing, from basic IT setups to full digital transformation. He believes technology should always serve a clear business purpose, improve customer experiences, and stay future-ready. His journey is a shining example of how passion, adaptability, and strong leadership can turn challenges into opportunities, he always believes on “Continuous learning and self-upgrade is the way to create a smarter, safer, and better world through technology."
