Tata Group has appointed Ilker Ayci as the new chief executive officer (CEO), and managing director (MD) of Air India, the company notified in a press release on Monday. Ayci will assume his responsibilities on or before April 1, 2022, as per the press release.
The development comes days after N Chandrasekaran’s tenure was extended as the chairman of Tata Group for the next five years last week.
Until very recently, Ayci was the chairman of Turkish Airlines and was on the board of the company prior to that. Born in Istanbul in 1971, Ayci is an alumnus of Bilkent University and was a researcher with the University of Leeds. He holds masters in international relations from the Marmara University in Istanbul.
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Speaking on the occasion, Ayci said, “I am delighted and honored to accept the privilege of leading an iconic airline and to join Tata Group. Working closely with my colleagues at Air India and the leadership of the Tata Group, we will utilize the strong heritage of Air India to make it one of the best airlines in the world with a uniquely superior flying experience that reflects Indian warmth and hospitality.
Notably, Tata Group officially took over the debt-ridden airline on January 27 this year. With the takeover, Talace Private Limited, a subsidiary of Tata Group, which won a bid worth Rs 18,000 crore to acquire the airline last year, also acquired Air India Express and a 50 per cent stake in Air India SATS.
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