New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Air India incoming CEO and Managing Director Tewolde Gebremariam on Monday told employees that he was determined to lead the Tata Group-owned airline into a stronger future, borrowing a phrase from the US to declare: “We will Make Air India Great Again.”

Addressing employees at a town hall alongside Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran and outgoing CEO and MD Campbell Wilson, Gebremariam said, “I am coming from the US so allow me to borrow a phrase, MAGA. We will Make Air India Great Again.”

Gebremariam is awaiting security clearance from the government and will formally take charge as Air India CEO and MD after receiving the necessary approvals.

“Air India has a powerful heritage, a strong brand and enormous potential. If we do the right things at the right time, the sky is the limit,” he said.

His remarks came as Air India enters a fresh phase of its transformation under the Tata Group, with the airline seeking to strengthen its operations, improve customer experience and build greater confidence among passengers.

Chandrasekaran, addressing employees at the town hall, said the airline’s next phase would focus primarily on safety, rebuilding customer trust, operational excellence and cost discipline.

“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. Air India belongs to a billion people. It is not just another business,” Chandrasekaran said.

He stressed that the most important objective for Air India should be to establish trust in the minds of passengers and the wider public.

“The most important thing Air India should aspire to have is trust in the minds of people,” he said.

Chandrasekaran said the airline had faced an exceptionally challenging period over the past 18 months, with geopolitical disruptions, airspace closures, fuel price volatility and the tragic AI171 accident affecting its operations.

He made it clear that safety would remain the airline’s top priority, urging Air India to aspire to a safety record better than that of the best airlines globally.

“Safety is not about what we say. It is about what we do every day,” Chandrasekaran said, underlining the importance of rigorous compliance, world-class processes and personal accountability across the organisation.

He also called for greater consistency in customer service and experience, while urging employees to remain agile as the aviation industry continues to face a rapidly changing operating environment.

Financial discipline will also be a key focus, with Chandrasekaran calling for a stronger culture of cost consciousness throughout Air India. “Every individual in Air India can contribute to improving cost efficiency,” he said.

--IANS

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