Air India's Incoming Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) Tewolde Gebremariam emphasises on maintaining a "stronger" safety culture as the company's utmost priority at his first Townhall address on Monday.
He will be taking over the role from outgoing CEO and MD Campbell Wilson.
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Gebremariam appealed to every employee of the firm to actively contribute to this aforementioned culture.
"A safety-first culture has to be our number one priority. It is not enough to say it. We must live it every day," Gebremariam said.
"If something is not right, stop. Every employee should feel empowered to raise concerns, and I will support that culture," he added.
Along with safety, the incoming CEO also stressed upon the vital nature of operational excellence, stating that customer experience hinges on the delivery of reliable and consistent services.
"Operational excellence is about getting the basics right every day: on-time departures, on-time arrivals, baggage delivery and clean aircraft," he said.
"Customer experience is a function of operational excellence. We need to minimise disruptions and when they do occur, handle them professionally and take care of our customers," the MD added.
The emphasis on safety comes more than a year after the airline made headlines after its flight 171, from Ahmedabad to London crashed into the hostel block of the B. J. Medical College campus. The accident claimed 248 casualties.
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Gebremariam stated that Air India was at the top of the industry in the 1990s during his time in Mumbai, and that he now has the opportunity to make it a strong brand again.
“I am coming from the US so allow me to borrow a phrase, MAGA. We will Make Air India Great Again," the senior executive said.
"Air India has a powerful heritage, a strong brand and enormous potential. If we do the right things at the right time, the sky is the limit," he added.
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