Air India Reshuffles Management Ahead Of Vistara Merger

Air India Group announced a series of major management changes ahead of the highly anticipated merger between Air India and Vistara, set for 12 November 2024. The changes come alongside the launch of a new domestic service, "Fly Prior," which will give passengers added flexibility in travel across India.

Vinod Kannan, Vistara's CEO and Chief Integration Officer for the merger, will continue to oversee integration efforts after the merger. Reporting to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, he will also join the Air India Management Committee.

Deepak Rajawat, Vistara’s Chief Commercial Officer, will become CFO of Air India Express, working closely with both CEO Aloke Singh and Group CFO Sanjay Sharma. This move will reposition Vikas Agarwal, the current CFO of Air India Express, into a new role within Air India.

Capt. Hamish Maxwell, Vistara’s Senior VP of Flight Operations, will transition to an advisory role with Aloke Singh at Air India Express. Meanwhile, Capt. Pushpinder Singh, COO of Air India Express, will return to active flying duties, with a successor to be named soon.

Vistara’s Deepa Chadha (SVP of HR & Corporate Affairs) and Vinod Bhatt (Chief Information Officer) will shift to senior positions in other Tata companies. Niyant Maru, Vistara’s CFO, will retire at the end of his term after extending his service to support the merger.

The rest of the CXO positions and reporting structures within Air India Group will remain unchanged.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson highlighted the importance of this consolidation in his statement, calling it one of the most complex mergers in aviation history, reducing four Tata airlines to two amid ambitious growth and transformation. He expressed gratitude for the contributions of the transitioning and departing leaders, acknowledging their influence on Air India's journey and legacy.