- Tata-owned Air India announces senior-level appointments for strategic growth
- Incumbent Chief of Operations Capt RS Sandhu, who had already extended his service with Air India beyond his superannuation date, will transition to an advisory role
- Manish Uppal, who joined AirAsia India a few months ago, has been appointed as the Senior Vice President for flight operations
NE BUSINESS BUREAU
GURUGRAM, OCT 27
Air India has made significant senior level appointments on Friday, including the appointment of Klaus Goersch as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. Goersch, a licensed B777/787 pilot, brings extensive experience from his previous positions in British Airways and Air Canada. In his new role, he will oversee various functions such as flight operations, engineering, ground operations, Integrated Operations Control, and cabin crew functions.
The newly created position aims to harmonise the operating procedures of the four Tata airlines, facilitate the Airbus A350 entry-into-service program, and assist in establishing Air India’s new training academy. R S Sandhu, the current chief of operations, will transition to an advisory role.
Furthermore, Manish Uppal, who joined AirAsia India a few months ago, has been appointed as the Senior Vice President for flight operations. Henry Donohoe’s role in corporate safety, security, and quality will be expanded to include emergency response, and he will now hold the title of Senior Vice President for safety, security, and quality.
Other appointments include Rajesh Dogra, who will oversee the inflight product and service design functions in his role as part of the Customer Experience portfolio. Pankaj Handa will lead ground operations, Choorah Singh will be the Divisional Vice President of the Integrated Operations Control Centre, and JuLi Ng will serve as the Divisional Vice President for cabin crew.
All three senior level appointees, Goersch, Dogra, and Donohoe, will report directly to Air India’s Managing Director and CEO, Campbell Wilson. The existing management committee members will continue in their unchanged roles and report to Wilson as well.
Welcoming Capt Goersch onboard, Campbell Wilson, CEO & Managing Director of Air India said, “We are pleased to have Klaus join the Air India family. Having worked at some of the best airlines in the world, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that is valuable to the ongoing transformation at Air India. At Air India, we remain committed to building top leadership as we continue to invest in all the resources that are required to take the airline to the upper echelons of global aviation.”
These appointments are part of Air India’s strategy to manage succession, streamline the organization, optimize talent within the Tata airline group, and position the airline for future growth and success. Wilson expressed confidence in Goersch’s knowledge and experience, emphasising Air India’s commitment to building top leadership and investing in the necessary resources to elevate the airline’s position in the global aviation industry.
Under the control of Tata Group since January last year, Air India is undergoing consolidation within the Tata airline business. The consolidation includes the merging of AirAsia India (now AIX Connect) with Air India Express and the merging of Vistara with Air India. Vistara, a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines, will contribute to the strengthening of Air India’s operations.
