Undergoing a radical transformation after the Tata takeover, Air India has hired a new COO. The airline has announced the appointment of Captain Klaus Goersch as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer with immediate effect. Captain Klaus is a licensed B777/787 pilot. He will look after crucial sections of Air India, including Flight Operations, Engineering, Ground Operations, Integrated Operations Control (IOCC), and Cabin Crew - from the company’s headquarters in Gurugram, India. Air India’s former COO, Captain RS Sandhu, recently retired from the extended role of Chief of Operations and will now serve on the advisory board.

The complete overhaul of the iconic Indian airliner is in progress and the results are already starting to manifest. For instance, Air India recently announced that it will be setting up a flying school in Amaravati in Maharashtra by as early as June 25. It would cost ₹200 core to build, and it will target graduating 180 pilots annually. Campbell Wilson, Managing Director and CEO, Air India, said, “The young pilots coming out of this FTO will fuel Air India’s ambition of becoming a world-class airline as it moves ahead in its transformation journey.”

The institution will have a fleet of 31 single-engine Piper Archer aircraft and three twin-engine Diamond 72 aircraft, ensuring a comprehensive training experience. Spanning over 10 acres, the school is designed to be a state-of-the-art facility featuring digitally enabled classrooms, a high-tech operations center, and a dedicated maintenance facility to support its advanced aviation training programs. We wish Air India good fortunes on this excellent initiative, and on this note, we present this special issue shedding light on the Aerospace & Defense ecosystem in the country. Do let us know your thoughts.