Tatas, which recently took over Air India, has named Ilker AYCI as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). AYCI, a Turkish national, born in Istanbul in 1971 and led the Turkish airline from 2015 until the end of January 2022.
This appointment is surprising because AYCI does not come with a flight heritage because other names that are rumored to be a competitor for the post. Started his career in 1994, he was assigned several positions in the Ilaclar Kurtsan A.S., Metropolitan Istanbul Municipality, Universal Dis Ticaret A.S., respectively, and then he served as General Manager at Basak Sigorta A.S. (General Insurance Company) between 2005 and 2006, and then in Gunes Sigorta as (insurance service company) between 2006 and 2011.
In January 2011, he was appointed as Chair of the Republic of Turkey’s Support and Promotion Agency, which is an official organization to promote Turkish investment opportunities to the global business community and to provide assistance to investors before, during and after they entered the Turkey. In February 2013, he was appointed as vice president of the world of investment promotion agencies, and later in January 2014, as chairman. In 2015, he took over as chairman of the Turkish airline after serving on the board of directors only a year. He was then appointed as the CEO and MD group, the position he held until last month.
Not the first expat in Indian skies
AYCI is not the first to occupy an angle office for airlines in India. Foreign passport holders with India and foreigners have become an ordinary person to hold angle office on Jet Airways, Bruce Ashby is Indigo’s first CEO, also the first time seeing many expatriations in the helm of affairs. AirAsia India – has two Indian expatriates before the coat falls on the CEO and Vistara currently always has an airline lead expist.
Surprising choice but expansion experience the key
AYCI has a link to Ergodan – Turkish President. Turkish open support for Pakistan and his attitude in Kashmir has not been taken well by the Government of India and thus the choice by Tata Group comes as a surprise.
However, AYCI has led the expansion of the other Turkish airlines. He became the Chair of the Turkish airline at the time of airlines flying to 45 domestic and 206 international destinations in 106 countries. At the end of 2021, Turkish Airlines flew to 328 destinations in 128 countries. AYCI has oversee significant expansion in airlines. Expansion has become almost 70 airports and 20 additional countries during their term of office.
He also led an incredible increase in fleet. The airline has 249 aircraft in 2014, which stands in 372 today! The airline has a difference in serving more airports from one airport (Istanbul) than other airlines in the world! In addition to being a member of the Star Alliance of Stars such as Air India, Turkish Airlines also has bets in airlines and other companies that are all rolled into AYCI as CEO of Group!
Main challenges
More often than not seen as a challenge in the case of Air India is a strong trade union. There has been no industrial action so far and repeated notice from the Union to recover pre-covid salaries has become a debatable problem. Combining various entities where people with unity, without unity, permanent employees and contracts are difficult tasks. In addition, in companies where problems related to seniority are still lingering a decade or more after the merger of Indian airlines and air, other mergers can worsen the situation.
Because these challenges are not enough, all gamuts lose money, with air as high as India. Vistara and AirAsia India have never made money from the start, even though the latter should start making money within a year!
Improve flight services, improve hardware, expand the network is just a few challenges that must be faced by the CEO of Neo. If the group decides to combine AirAsia India with Indian air or Air India Express, it will be an additional task. While integration is a shorter task – a long-term fleet plan is very important and this will be the right time to place the command to change the B777 and add to the B787S.