Ilker Ayci rejects Tata Sons offer to be CEO of Air India

Turkey's Ilker Ayci has declined to be the CEO of Tata's Air India, a Tata official confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday.   

The newly appointed Turkey's Ilker Ayci has refused to be the chief executive of Tata's Air India, a Tata spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday. The Tata Sons' Board announced Ayci as the CEO and MD of Air India on February 14.  

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP's ideological mentor, has asked the government to prevent Ayci's appointment as Air India's CEO, citing his former political ties with Turkey, which has strained relations with New Delhi.

The spokesperson for India's Tata confirmed the development without elaborating further, and calls for Ayci went unanswered. 

On or before April 1, 2022, Ayci was slated to take over his duties.

Until recently, Ayci was the Chairman of Turkish Airlines, and he had previously served on the company's board of directors. While approving the nomination of Ayci, the Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said, "Ilker is an aviation industry pioneer who drove Turkish Airlines to its present success during his stint there." He added that the company is delighted to welcome Ayci to the Tata Group, leading Air India into a new era. 

Who is Ilker Ayci?
Ilker Ayci was born in Istanbul in 1971. In 1994, he received a Bachelor's degree in political science and public administration from Bilkent University. He earned an International Relations Master's degree at Marmara University in Istanbul in 1997 after completing a research stay in political science at Leeds University in the United Kingdom in 1995.

On January 27, Tatas took control of Air India, it's subsidiary Air India Express and a 50% stake in the joint venture AISATS. After a competitive bidding process, the government sold loss-making Air India to Talace for Rs 18,000 crore.