New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Outgoing Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson on Tuesday described his tenure at the airline as a wonderful experience and said it had been a privilege to be part of the carrier's long history.

"Air India and India have been a wonderful experience. It's been a privilege to be part of Air India's long and proud history. I'm very happy to be handing over to Tewolde Gebremariam as my successor. I wish Air India and India all the very best in the continued rise to become a world-class airline," Wilson told reporters.

His remarks come ahead of a leadership transition at the Tata Group-owned airline with incoming CEO and Managing Director Tewolde Gebremariam set to take over after receiving the required government security clearances.

Earlier this month, Gebremariam told employees that he was determined to lead Air India into a stronger future, borrowing the acronym MAGA to say, "We will Make Air India Great Again."

Addressing employees at a town hall attended by Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran and Wilson, Gebremariam said the airline had a powerful heritage, a strong brand and significant growth potential.

At the town hall, Chandrasekaran said the airline's priorities would include safety, rebuilding customer trust, operational excellence and financial discipline.

Chandrasekaran also highlighted recent challenges faced by the airline, including geopolitical disruptions, airspace restrictions, fuel price volatility and the impact of the AI171 accident.

On September 13 (Sunday), two flight operations were disrupted due to weather and technical errors.

An Air India aircraft (AI431) was diverted to Lucknow due to unfavourable weather and visibility conditions.

Similarly, a flight of the airline from Bhopal to Delhi on September 13 was forced to divert at Jaipur due to a technical issue as per laid down procedures.

--IANS

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