Indian Railway Service officer Ashwani Lohani to be next Air India CMD

NEW DELHI: Ashwani Lohani, Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation, is likely to be the next Air India Chairman and Managing Director, two sources in the know confirmed to ET.

An Indian Railway Service officer of the 1980 batch, Lohani is likely to have a three-year term that is likely to extend till December 2018.

“Lohani is a perfect choice for the job due to his considerable experience with public sector undertakings in the past and his operational experience as Divisional railway Manager in Delhi,” said an airline source.

Lohani's experience of running PSUs goes back to 2002, when he was the CMD of Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), where he was credited with turning around Delhi's Ashoka Hotel by making it profitable following years of losses.

A qualified mechanical engineer, Lohani is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

Current CMD Rohit Nandan's one-year extension ends on Thursday night and he is likely to get an extension of another month.