Air India Names New Engineering SVP
Air India Group appointed Jeremy Yew as SVP Engineering & Maintenance on March 2, bringing 20+ years from Singapore Airlines. Sisira Kanta Dash shifts to Group Chief Strategy Officer-Engineering from April 1 as part of the leadership restructuring.
This leadership change occurs as Air India aggressively expands and modernizes its fleet under its Vihaan.AI transformation plan. The airline has firm orders for hundreds of new aircraft, including a landmark 470-plane deal in 2023 and an additional 30 Boeing 737 MAX jets announced in January 2026. Jeremy Yew's appointment brings expertise from Singapore Airlines' ecosystem, as he previously served as Senior Vice President of Base Maintenance at SIA Engineering Company. This move is seen as an effort to bolster the airline's engineering and maintenance capabilities. He is taking over the day-to-day engineering operations from Sisira Kanta Dash, who has been in a leading engineering role since June 2023, after heading engineering at Vistara. The focus on engineering leadership is critical as Air India has faced scrutiny over aircraft reliability and maintenance. Reports in 2025 and early 2026 highlighted issues with recurring technical defects and maintenance record-keeping, underscoring the challenge Yew will face in his new role. The airline has stated it is implementing new safeguards to improve its technical performance. As part of its transformation, Air India has committed over $400 million to refurbish its existing wide-body fleet. The airline is also investing $200 million in new IT and digital systems to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience. This investment is a key pillar of the Vihaan.AI program, which aims to restore Air India to the status of a premier global carrier.
