Tata Sons plans new management hires to chart Air India's course

Tata Sons is planning top managerial hires for Air India, the airline it originally launched in 1932 and which it reacquired from the government this October.

The salt-to-software conglomerate, India’s biggest, is finalising a turnaround plan for the indebted carrier it’s in the process of taking over from the state, reports said.

It is considering both internal and external candidates for roles including the chief executive and chief financial officer, the reports said.

Also read: A history of Air India: The Maharaja’s journey through the years

Among the potential hires is Fred Reid, a former executive with Virgin America and AirBnb, as well as Nipun Aggarwal, an ex US-based banker-turned Tata executive, the reports said. Reid could be CEO and Aggarwal CFO.

Deliberations are still ongoing and no decision has been reached, the reports added.

Also read: Explainer: The catch in Tata Sons’ deal for Air India

Tata Sons got the go-ahead to buy Air India after offering $2.4 billion. It faces an uphill task to revive a carrier that hasn’t made money since its 2007 merger with domestic operator Indian Airlines. The group already runs two unprofitable joint ventures with Singapore Airlines and AirAsia Group in the country.