- Debt-ridden Air India was hoping for a turnaround when it appointed Ilker Ayci as its CEO on February 14th, subject to government approvals.
- His appointment had raised many eyebrows due to his association with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in the 1990s as Turkey and India have somewhat strained connections.
- Ilker Ayci turned down this offer as it would not be feasible or an honourable decision to accept the position in the shadow of a narrative.
Air India is back in its search for a new CEO, as Ilker Ayci, former chairman of Turkish Airlines declined its offer just a fortnight into his appointment, on Tuesday. His appointment led to opposition in India over his previous political links
On 14th February 2022, Tata Sons had announced his selection and he was supposed to assume charge of Air India from April 1st, after regulatory approvals.
At the time, Ayci said his ambition was to make Air India “one of the best airlines in the world”.
Tata Sons took over the debt-ridden Air India in January in a $2.4 billion equity and debt deal. Air India came with several ailments like an ageing aircraft fleet and legacy issues from its workers’ unions.
They however hoped for a quick recovery as Ayci’s is famed as a turnaround expert. Ayci had earlier reversed the fortunes for Turkish Airlines by reducing staff costs and capitalising on the thriving air freight business.
Now, losing him could be a setback not only for Tata Sons but also for the government.
The economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideologue behind the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded background checks for Ayci before he assumed charge at Air India.
Their major concern was ‘national security’ and they did not want to interfere with the day-to-day operations of Air India.
The appointment of a foreign national as CEO of an airline requires government clearance before it can proceed.
Earlier, Ayci served as an adviser to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan who was then the mayor of Istanbul in the mid- 1990s. Turkey and India have somewhat strained connections and diplomats blame it on Erdogan’s support to Pakistan.
In the past, Turkey had supported Pakistan’s establishment on various issues like terrorism, Kashmir, and so on. Erdogan had referred to the issue of Kashmir in his address at the UN General Assembly last year and India had termed it as “completely unacceptable”.
“As a business leader who has always prioritised professional credo, I have come to the conclusion that it would not be feasible or an honourable decision to accept the position in the shadow of such a narrative,” Ayci said in his statement.
In a recent meeting with Tata Chairman N Chandrasekaran, he said that he declined the offer after reading about attempts “to colour my appointment with undesirable colours.”
Tata Sons confirmed that Ayic had turned down their offer, without sharing further details.
“He (Ayci) got trapped by the interference of politics in his aviation business. Maybe he is a victim of that, maybe he used politics to speed up his career … now he learned that India is not Turkey and you better do your homework before applying for a sensitive job like CEO,” said Gustav Baldauf, former Chief Operating Officer, Air India.
