The aviation circles in India are abuzz with conversations and speculation about Ilker Ayci's appointment as Air India's CEO and MD. Steering a carrier like AI in the right direction was never going to be easy, and everyone wants to know whether the man selected for the airline's top job is up for the challenge.

Surprise move

The Tata Group had started hunting for a candidate to lead Air India even before the handover papers were officially signed. Perhaps they realized just how much of an ask it would be from the person joining as the top boss.

Some names that floated around were of industry veterans such as Fred Reid and Alex Cruz, but nobody saw Mr Ayci's appointment on the cards. While anyone leading AI would have come under media scrutiny, Ayci's selection has come as a surprise for nearly everyone.

It's being said that Tata Sons' chairman N Chandrasekaran wants Air India's service standards to match those of Vistara. And the Tatas were eager to bring in an expat who could offer a fresh take on running a carrier bogged down by decades of bureaucratic mishandling. Clearly, the organization feels that Ayci is the man to bring about those changes.

Impressive resume

A graduate from the Department of Political Science at Bilkent University in Ankara, Ayci has held various notable positions before beginning his aviation journey with Turkish Airlines. He was deeply involved with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, holding several key positions, including advisor to then-Mayor of Istanbul and current President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

In 2011, he was appointed as the President of the Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey, and in 2013 as the Vice-President (and later chairman) of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies.

But ultimately, it was the years he spent at Turkish Airlines that tipped the scales in his favor when the Tatas came knocking on his door with an offer.

Ayci joined Turkish Airlines in 2015 as chairman and is credited with the carrier's expansion in terms of both destinations and the number of aircraft during his tenure. But some argue that expanding an airline is different than running a beast like Air India, which requires a complete makeover.

It could be that Tatas were impressed by the way Ayci guided Turkish Airlines during the pandemic. As covered by the Gulf News, the carrier reported more than $800 million in losses in 2020 but became one of the first to report a profit in 2021.

In an interview with Sam Chui, Ayci mentions that he managed the carrier's operations with no layoffs in the company and without a government bailout. The Tata Group would expect him to think on his feet with Air India as well, given that there can be no layoffs within the airline for another year, although quite a few AI employees are slated to retire in the coming few years.

Challenges ahead

While Air India has many problems, something that we at Simple Flying have written about on numerous occasions, operating in India comes with its own set of unwritten rules.

Although there have been some swift decisions in the aviation sector recently, the Indian government's track record in bringing about reforms is not particularly exciting. Pushing through various licenses, paperwork and other bureaucratic hurdles could overwhelm anyone who comes in unprepared.

But some believe that Ayci is the right man for the job. The Gulf News quotes Vinamra Longani, Head of Operations at Sarin & Co, a law firm specializing in aircraft leasing and finance, as saying,

“He (Ayci) has worked in the insurance industry and has a finance background. In India, where the aviation sector is highly regulated, dealing with the government is a part and parcel of every airline C-level executive.”

And while the Tatas have put their faith in Ilker Ayci, the man himself seems pretty eager to lead the carrier, having resigned from Turkish on January 26th – just a day before the Tatas officially took over Air India.

We'll have to wait and watch the kind of changes Ayci's leadership will bring about in the time to come.