Air India incoming CEO & MD Tewolde Gebremariam addressed employees at a townhall on Monday and said, “I am coming from the US so allow me to borrow a phrase, MAGA. We will Make Air India Great Again.”
Tewolde who awaits his security clearance from the government will assume the role of CEO and MD of Air India after all necessary approvals are received. “Air India has a powerful heritage, a strong brand and enormous potential. He highlighted safety as his foremost priority and called on every employee to actively contribute to a stronger safety culture. “A safety-first culture has to be our number one priority. It is not enough to say it. We must live it every day. If something is not right, stop. Tewolde also highlighted the importance of operational excellence. “Operational excellence is about getting the basics right every day: on-time departures, on-time arrivals, baggage delivery and clean aircraft. Customer experience is a function of operational excellence. Air India belongs to a billion people. It is not just another business.”
Tewolde said he was excited about the opportunity ahead. If we do the right things at the right time, the sky is the limit,” he said. Every employee should feel empowered to raise concerns, and I will support that culture,” he said in his address. We need to minimise disruptions and when they do occur, handle them professionally and take care of our customers,” he said. “We cannot bring about meaningful change without the commitment of our people,” he said. Welcoming his successor, outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson said, “Tewolde is a proven airline leader with deep industry experience, and I know he will take Air India forward with great success. Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran said, “For me, bringing Air India back to the Tata Group is one of the most important milestones of my career, a very very significant event.
