Former Turkish Airlines chairman declines offer to lead Air India, blames politics

Ilker Ayci, the former chairman of Turkish Airlines, has declined an offer from Indian conglomerate Tata Sons to lead the newly privatised Air India (AI, Mumbai Int’l). In a statement, he blamed politically tainted local media reports.

Tata Sons admitted last week that it may have to review its recent appointment of Ayci as CEO and managing director of the flag carrier citing the Indian government’s delay in approving the move. Although Air India is now in private hands, key aviation appointments still need a nod from the executive.

He had been due to assume his responsibilities by April 1, but the appointment sparked a wave of disapproval as Hindu nationalist groups associated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been claiming he was close to Turkish President Racep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is in turn considered to be an ally of India’s perpetual foe Pakistan.

“Since the announcement of my appointment as of April 1, I have been carefully following the news in some sections of the Indian media attempting to taint my appointment with undesirable colours,” Ayci said in his statement. “As a business leader who has always prioritised professional credo and more importantly the happiness and well being of my family above all else, I have come to the conclusion that it would not be a feasible or honourable decision to accept the position in the shadow of such a narrative.”

Tata Sons confirmed Ayci’s decision to local media but declined to provide more details. The conglomerate will now need to restart its search for a chief executive as it seeks to turn around the loss-making carrier. While Zürich-based executive search firm Egon Zehnder had reportedly shortlisted other names besides Ayci for the post of Air India CEO, any new appointment at that level is likely to require another month or two.

Istanbul-born Ayci took charge of Turkish Airlines in April 2015 and announced his resignation in January 2022.

Gustav Baldauf, a former chief operating officer at Air India who himself had to resign in 2011 after claiming that the government played too prominent a role in the airline’s operations, told the business news site Moneycontrol that it appeared Ayci had “got trapped by the interference of politics,” adding: “Now he’s learned that India is not Turkey, and you’d better do your homework before applying for a sensitive job like CEO.”