Drugs, alcohol, bicycle & losses: The strange to-do list awaiting Air India’s new boss Tewolde Gebremariam

Air India’s incoming CEO Tewolde Gebremariam inherits an airline with global ambitions but an unusually complicated to-do list. Beyond tackling a Rs 22,238 crore loss and securing fresh shareholder funding, he must address maintenance issues, cut costs and tighten operational discipline. Recent incidents involving pilots, alcohol and drugs, an alleged assault, a bomb-hoax probe, an immigration lapse and other service issues have added to the challenge. With hundreds of aircraft on order, Tewolde’s task is not simply to grow Air India’s fleet...