Air India appoints former civil aviation secretary as advisor to chairman

New Delhi: Air India has appointed former civil aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola as executive advisor to the company’s chairman N Chandrasekaran.

He will be a full member of the company’s management committee and will play a key role as the company appoints a new CEO. Incumbent CEO Campbell Wilson had earlier announced his decision to step down from the company in April.

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ET had reported about the appointment of Kharola on 17 February.

“With my tenure in its final months, his experience will be invaluable in ensuring a smooth leadership transition to the new CEO,” Wilson said in an internal memo reviewed by ET.

Chief Commercial Officer Nipun Aggarwall remains frontrunner to replace Wilson.

Kharola, a 1985-batch Indian Administrative Services officer, is expected to play a key role in leading Air India’s communication with the government as the airline faces severe regulatory scrutiny and a leadership churn at the top.

Kharola, who was the civil aviation secretary from February 2019 to September 2021, led the privatisation process of Air India which resulted in takeover of the airline by the Tatas in January 2022. He also had a stint as Air India chairman.

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Efforts to turn around Air India by the Tata group have hit a hurdle as the company grapples with steep financial loss of Rs 26,000 crore in FY 26.

While high fuel prices have made many long haul routes unviable, the closure of Pakistani airspace has forced its Europe and North America-bound flights onto longer routes, sharply increasing fuel consumption and crew costs. Flights to North American cities must now make stops at Vienna or Stockholm, compounding the expense.

Tatas along with strategic partner Singapore Airlines — faces mounting pressure to rein in costs and restore the carrier to financial health.