New Delhi: Tewolde Gebremariam, the to-be Air India CEO and MD, has identified safety, reliability and profitability as his key priorities for the airline, ThePrint has learnt.
Gebremariam addressed Air India employees Monday in his first company-wide town hall after being named the airline’s next CEO and MD in August. He is expected to take charge after receiving the necessary regulatory approvals.
According to sources, he told employees that Air India had made significant progress over the past four years but much work still needs to be done. He thanked the airline’s more than 30,000 employees for their role in the transformation, including the merger and integration of Air India and Vistara.
“Over the past four years, a great deal has been achieved. At the same time, there remains significant opportunity ahead of us. That is what makes this an exciting moment for Air India and for all of us,” a source quoted Gebremariam as having said at the townhall.
The former Ethiopian Airlines CEO also spoke about the opportunity presented by India’s growing economy, demographics and geographical position. He stated that these factors could help Air India expand its global presence by keeping a focus on customers.
“These factors give us confidence that if we execute well and remain focused on our customers, Air India can become not only one of the largest airlines in the world, but among the very best,” Gebremariam said, according to a second source.
He also flagged the challenges facing the airline, including geopolitical developments, airspace restrictions affecting Indian carriers, high fuel prices, and uncertainty in international markets, it is learnt.
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Safety remains top priority
Tewolde Gebremariam, set to succeed Campbell Wilson as CEO, also told Air India employees that safety would remain the airline’s main priority.
“Everything we do must be safe. Safety is a shared responsibility, and every Air Indian has a role to play. We must continue to foster a culture where people are empowered to speak up, raise concerns and report issues without hesitation,” the first source quoted him as having said at the townhall.
Gebremariam also urged employees to be proactive about reporting safety concerns. “If you see something, say something. The stronger our reporting culture, the stronger our safety culture,” he said, according to the second source.
He also 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.”
The global aviation leader acknowledged that some disruptions, including those caused by weather and technical issues, could not always be avoided.
Focus on revenue and costs
Gebremariam told employees that Air India needed to improve both its revenue and cost performance, it is learnt. He pointed to potential revenue opportunities in the international network, commercial activities, and the cargo business.
“Revenue enhancement initiatives are already under discussion, including opportunities across our international network, commercial activities and cargo business,” he said at the townhall, according to the first source. Gebremariam added, “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 organisation of our scale.”
Air India also plans to introduce programmes to reward employees for ideas that lead to measurable cost savings and operational efficiencies, sources told ThePrint, adding that the airline is also looking at ways to improve network efficiency, fleet deployment and the overall balance of its operations.
Tewolde Gebremariam, it is learnt, further emphasised the need to operate as “one Air India Group,” with the airline looking to streamline operations and create synergies while keeping the focus on customers.
He concluded the townhall by reiterating that safety, reliability, financial discipline, teamwork and customer service would be central to Air India going forward.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)