Air India Appoints Jayaraj Shanmugam As Head Of Global Airport Operations

Air India has appointed Jayaraj Shanmugam as the Head of Global Airport Operations. Shanmugam is set to assume his new role on 15 April 2024 and will report directly to Chief Operations Officer Klaus Goersch. 

Shanmugam joins Air India from Bangalore International Airport (BIAL), where he served as the Chief Operating Officer. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in operationalising the new Terminal 2, demonstrating his expertise in airport management and operations, the Tata Group-owned airline said in a statement. 

With over 25 years of experience in the airline, airport and telecom industries, Shanmugam has held key positions at organisations such as Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Jet Airways. His expertise spans various facets of the industry, making him a valuable addition to the Air India team. 

In light of Shanmugam's appointment, Goersch expressed confidence in his abilities, highlighting his track record in driving excellence in customer experience and airport operations. "Jayaraj has distinctive expertise in driving excellence in customer experience and airport operations, redesigning and improving services. We look forward to significantly enhancing our airport operations with his leadership and achieving many milestones in our Vihaan.AI transformation journey," he added. 

The appointment of Jayaraj Shanmugam marks a significant milestone in Air India's Vihaan.AI transformation journey. With his leadership, the airline aims to elevate its airport operations to new heights and achieve numerous milestones along the path to excellence. 

Air India is navigating through a five-year transformation journey under the banner of Vihaan.AI, with the goal of evolving into a world-class airline with a distinctly Indian essence. The first phase of this transformation, known as the "taxi phase," has recently been completed, focusing primarily on rectifying fundamental aspects of the airline's operations. 

During the taxi phase, Air India prioritised addressing foundational issues by undertaking several key initiatives. These efforts included the restoration of many long-grounded aircraft to service, bolstering talent acquisition across both flight and ground operations, upgrading technological infrastructure and enhancing customer care initiatives, among others. By focusing on these fundamentals, Air India aimed to lay a robust groundwork for subsequent phases of its transformation journey.