NEW YORK, May 21 (Reuters) – Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said on Thursday that his successor will have his or her “hands full,” as the carrier grapples with a ban on the usage of neighbor Pakistan’s airspace, fallout from the Iran war and a strong U.S. dollar.
Wilson, who announced last month he would resign from Air India, said he would be leaving in a couple of months’ time.
“The next four years is going to be just as challenging as the past, albeit in a different way,” Wilson told a lunch event at Wings Club in New York. “And so the person that takes over will have their hands full, but I want to make sure the right person is in place to carry that forward.”
Reuters has reported that Singapore Airlines executive Vinod Kannan and Air India’s commercial head Nipun Aggarwal are the two frontrunners to become the new CEO of Air India.
Air India, which has reported heavy losses, has also seen its image tarnished by a series of safety lapses.
Wilson said it was always clear that he would hold a four-year term at Air India, but would take steps to help his successor.
“I’m going to be flexible for as long as it takes for them to find someone and make sure that we do a good transition,” Wilson said.
(Reporting By Doyinsola Oladipo in New York. Additional reporting by Abhijith Ganapavaram in New Delhi. Writing by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Mark Porter)
