Air New Zealand has appointed Nikhil Ravishankar as the airline’s new chief executive officer.
As the airline’s current chief digital officer, Ravishankar will officially assume his new role at the airline on October 20, 2025. Prior to joining the airline, Ravishankar has held leadership roles at both Vector and consulting firm Accenture, where he was managing director.
"Airlines will continue to face immense challenges, whether that's climate change, customer expectations, technology, cost pressures or geopolitics,” said Dame Therese Walsh, Air New Zealand board chair. “Nikhil brings a fresh perspective that is grounded in New Zealand values and a deep knowledge of the airline and critical infrastructure across different sectors.”
This appointment follows the resignation of Greg Foran in March of this year. Foran, who the airline’s chief executive officer for five years, has helped navigate the airline through the COVID-19 pandemic, aircraft retrofits and most recently fleet groundings triggered by GTF engine inspections.
Air New Zealand is expecting earnings before tax for the 2025 financial year to be within the range of NZ$150 million ($88.6 million) to NZ$190 million ($112.2 million), compared to NZ$222 million ($131.2 million) that was reported in 2024.
The airline has been widely impacted by aircraft groundings, which have stemmed from global maintenance requirements on the Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce engines that power the airline’s Airbus and 787 fleets.