Chandrasekaran sets up interim committee to lead Air India as search continues for CEO Campbell Wilson’s successor
Tata Sons-owned Air India will be led by an interim committee until a new CEO is found. According to a report by The Economic Times
Tata Sons-owned Air India will be led by an interim committee until a new CEO is found. According to a report by The Economic Times, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran is setting up an interim management committee for Air India, comprising himself, former Air India CMD Pradeep Singh Kharola, and other senior executives. Kharola previously served as Chairman and Managing Director of Air India from 2017 to 2019, when the airline was under government ownership. He later served as Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and was associated with the airline's privatisation process. He returned to Air India in June as Executive Director to the Chairman. Air India's search for new CEO The development comes as Tata Sons continues its search for a new CEO to replace Campbell Wilson, who is set to leave the airline in September.
Tata Sons announced in April that Wilson, who has led Air India since 2022, has stepped down as CEO. Also Read | Air India CEO Campbell Wilson to stay on until successor is announced According to recent reports, the search for the new Air India CEO has been narrowed down to two names: Chief Commercial Officer Nipun Aggarwal and former Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan. Last month, the Financial Times reported that Aggarwal is the main contender for the post and is believed to have the support of Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran. However, Chandrasekaran has reportedly been cautious about making a final decision amid questions surrounding his own future at the conglomerate. The loss-making flag carrier, which was privatised in January 2022 and is now jointly owned by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines.
Despite a massive cash infusion by Tata Sons, Air India continues to struggle financially and in terms of operations. What Campbell Wilson said about Air India's challenges Last month, in an interview with PTI, Wilson had said that Air India's foundations have been rebuilt over the last four years, but non-delivery of aircraft on schedule has significantly impacted growth and fleet modernisation. The next challenge for Air India would be expansion, as the next phase would see deliveries of the bulk of the 670 aircraft, Wilson said. When asked whether there were any regrets, he asserted that it was a shame that the aircraft that Air India had ordered were not delivered on schedule. The situation has a significant impact on growth, product and fleet modernisation, he noted. The second big regret, Wilson said, was the supply chain constraints on seats, particularly first and business class seats, which have delayed the airline's retrofit of existing wide-body aircraft by about two years.
The BriefWire