Air India's new CEO sets safety, reliability as top priorities
What's the story
Tewolde Gebremariam, the future Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of Air India, has identified safety and operational reliability as his top priorities. He will take over the role after getting regulatory approvals. Tewolde made the announcement during a company-wide town hall meeting on September 28. He also stressed sustainable profitability and disciplined growth for the airline's future.
Progress acknowledgment
Acknowledgment of progress since Tata Group's acquisition
Tewolde acknowledged the progress made by Air India since its return to the Tata Group. He also noted that a lot of work is still pending.
"Over the past four years, a great deal has been achieved. At the same time, there remains significant opportunity ahead of us," he said during his address to over 24,000 employees at Air India.
Growth potential
India's demographics as foundation for Air India's growth
Tewolde emphasized that India's demographics, economic growth, geographic position, and large global diaspora provide a strong foundation for Air India's expansion.
He said these factors give confidence that if executed well with a customer-centric approach, "Air India can become not only one of the largest airlines in the world but among the very best."
Safety focus
Safety and operational reliability key focus areas
Tewolde stressed that safety is Air India's top priority and a shared responsibility across the organization.
He called for a stronger reporting culture, urging employees to voice concerns and report issues without hesitation.
"If you see something, say something. The stronger our reporting culture, the stronger our safety culture," he said while emphasizing operational reliability as another key priority of his tenure.
Reliability goal
Reliability should be Air India's hallmark, says Tewolde
Tewolde wants customers to associate Air India with reliability.
He said, "Our customers should remember Air India for its reliability. They should be confident that flights will depart and arrive on time, baggage will travel with them, and that when disruptions occur, we should communicate transparently and recover quickly."
He also stressed empowering frontline employees for faster decision-making during operational disruptions.
Profitability focus
Sustainable profitability as objective for Air India
Tewolde stressed sustainable profitability as a key objective for Air India.
He admitted that external factors have impacted the airline's path to breakeven but emphasized the need to improve both revenue and cost performance.
"We must improve both revenue and cost performance. Revenue enhancement initiatives are already under discussion, including opportunities across our international network, commercial activities and cargo business," he said.
Cost discipline
Cost discipline across the organization
Tewolde also spoke on cost discipline across the organization.
He said, "Cost management is not just the responsibility of leadership or the finance function. Every employee can contribute to savings, and those savings add up across an organization of our scale."
Air India plans to introduce programs to reward employees for ideas that generate measurable cost savings and operational efficiencies.