Air India’s CEO On How the 92-Year-Old Airline Has a Start-Up Culture — Full Video
Skift Take
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has lofty ambitions for Air India. Once underinvested by the Indian government, Air India now 470 aircraft on order and hired thousands of new employees as part of an effort to turn its operations around.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson is undertaking a massive project: completely overhauling India's newly privatized 92-year-old flag carrier after decades of underinvestment by the Indian government. The average age of an Air India employee was 54 years old. The airline had such a dated email system that its employees started using Gmail.
But that's the old Air India, according to Wilson. Wilson, who previously worked for the widely-renowned Singapore Airlines, thinks he can bring the same level of service and reputation to Air India — but it'll take time. Air India's transformation is built on a five-year plan known as "Vihaan.AI." And 18 months into it, Air India has already placed a historic order for 470 aircraft and hired 5,000 new employees, lowering the average employee age from 54 to 35.
Here are the highlights from Wilson's interview at the Skift India Summit 2024. Quotes have been lightly edited and shortened for clarity. Watch the full interview below
