In a strategic move to ensure continuity, the Tata Group is set to maintain the current top management of Air India following its merger with Vistara.
According to media reports, all senior executives of Air India will retain their positions post-merger. This indicates that Campbell Wilson will continue as CEO, with Nipun Aggarwal as chief commercial and transformation Officer, and Sanjay Sharma as chief financial officer.
While most Vistara employees will transition to the merged company, some positions may be eliminated due to redundancies, as Air India has already staffed those roles.
At Vistara, Vinod Kannan will return as CEO to Singapore Airlines (SIA), his parent company, after his secondment to Vistara since 2019. Under the joint venture agreement, SIA had the right to appoint the CEO for Vistara, while Tata Group selected its finance chief. Deepak Rajawat, chief commercial officer, Vistara, is expected to join the merged entity.
Air India has been actively recruiting from within the Tata Group and startups to revamp the airline, which had accumulated losses exceeding Rs 15,000 crore before Tata’s acquisition. Some Vistara employees have already been reassigned to Air India. Furthermore, Vistara’s non-flying staff has undergone the Hogan Test to assess personality traits essential for job suitability, particularly in leadership roles.
The Tata Group aims to consolidate its airline business swiftly, leveraging synergies, enhancing efficiencies, and minimizing redundancies. Air India Express and Air Asia India have already merged to form a budget airline. The combined entity of Air India and Vistara will compete in the full-service segment.
The conglomerate strives to complete the Air India-Vistara integration by the end of this year. However, Wilson has indicated that customer-facing aspects, including Vistara’s brand identity, will remain unchanged until 2025.
