Air India shuffles top management ahead of Vistara merger
What's the story
Ahead of the upcoming merger with Vistara Ltd. on November 12, 2024, Air India has announced major changes in its senior management. Both airlines are subsidiaries of the Tata Group. The restructuring will see Vinod Kannan, currently Vistara's CEO, move into the role of Chief Integration Officer post-merger. He will also be a part of the managing committee and report directly to Campbell Wilson, Air India's CEO.
New roles
Deepak Rajawat to serve as CFO of Air India Express
Deepak Rajawat, Vistara's Chief Commercial Officer, will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer in the enlarged Air India Express. Along with his new role, Rajawat will assist Sanjay Sharma, Group Chief Financial Officer, with strategic initiatives and projects. Meanwhile, Vistara's Hamish Maxwell has been appointed as an advisor to Aloke Singh, CEO of Air India Express.
Personnel shifts
Other key management changes in Air India
In other changes, Air India Express's Chief Operations Officer Pushpinder Singh will be returning to flying duties. Vistara's Senior Vice President of Human Resources Deepa Chadha and Chief Information Officer Vinod Bhatt will take up senior positions at other Tata Group companies. These shifts are part of the complete restructuring process ahead of the merger.
Merger impact
Air India-Vistara merger: A significant milestone in aviation history
The National Company Law Tribunal approved merger of Air India and Vistara in June will create one of the largest airline groups in the world. After the merger, Singapore Airlines will have a 25.1% stake and Tata Sons will have 73.8% equity in the new entity. SBICAP Trustee Co. will hold the remaining 1.52% stake, marking a major shift in the aviation industry's landscape.