Tata Group appoints former chairman of Turkish Airlines Ilker Ayci as CEO of Air India

Announcing the new appointment, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran said, “Ilker is an aviation industry leader who led Turkish Airlines to its current success during his tenure there. We are delighted to welcome Ilker to the Tata Group where he would lead Air India into the new era.”

Ayci will assume office from on or before 1st April 2022. "The board, after due deliberations, approved the appointment of Mr Ayci as the CEO & Managing Director of Air India. This appointment is subject to requisite regulatory approvals," Tata Group said in a statement.

“I am delighted and honored to accept the privilege of leading an iconic airline and to join the 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,” Ilker Ayci said.

Ayci was born in Istanbul in 1971. He is a 1994 alumni of Bilkent University’s Department of Political Science and Public Administration. After a research stay in political science at the Leeds University in the UK in 1995, he completed a Master’s program in International Relations at the Marmara University in Istanbul in 1997.

The Tata Group took the reigns of Air India in January after winning a bid to acquire the airline in December 2021.

It is working on setting up a team of top notch professionals to revive the airline.

The new board of AI is likely to be led by Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran himself, according to media reports.