Air India's new chief pushes cost discipline to restore airline to profitability

Gebremariam, appointed as CEO and Managing Director of the Tata Group-owned airline, told staff on Monday that sustainable profitability requires a fundamental shift in organisational culture toward disciplined cost management. Speaking at a company town hall, he stressed that cost control cannot remain the preserve of senior leadership or finance departments alone.

"Cost management is not just the responsibility of leadership or the finance function. Every employee can contribute to savings, and those savings add up across an organisation of our scale," Gebremariam said during his second interaction with staff in recent weeks.

To drive this shift, Air India plans to introduce incentive programmes that reward employees for submitting ideas that generate measurable cost savings and operational efficiencies. The initiative reflects the airline's strategy to combine internal process improvements with external partnerships as it works toward financial viability.

Gebremariam will assume his position following receipt of the necessary security approvals. His appointment comes as Air India undertakes a significant operational and financial turnaround under Tata ownership.