Rohit Nandan to replace Arvind Jadhav as Air India chief

NEW DELHI: Rohit Nandan, a joint secretary in the ministry of civil aviation, will be appointed as the new head of Air India, replacing Arvind Jadhav, whose disastrous tenure comes to an end next year. Nandan is a 1982-batch (UP Cadre) IAS officer.

A senior official in the ministry of civil aviation told ET that Nandan's candidature is a strong possibility. He will be backed by a management panel, which will work in close coordination with the ministry.

The panel is likely to be headed by aviation secretary Dr SNA Zaidi and will have two independent directors and a joint MD. Dr Zaidi refused to comment when asked about Nandan's possible appointment. The official added that Nandan is one of the names being considered and that a formal announcement is expected soon.

Jadhav, the current chairman and manging director, has failed to turn around the airline and has been blamed for most of its woes, including the inability to drive synergies out of the merger with Indian Airlines. Three major strikes by employees and pilots have happened on his watch so far.

The BJP, which has raked up the crisis of leadership in Air India, has charged the PMO with manipulating the selection process in Air India.