Air New Zealand’s Tech-Savvy CEO on AI and the Limits of the Machine
Photo Credit: Nikhil Ravishankar started the CEO role at Air New Zealand in October 2025. Air New Zealand
Skift Take
An AI-powered airline is a fine ambition – but it won't touch the fuel price, the grounded engines, or the weak Kiwi dollar doing the real damage. Ravishankar's edge is that he seems to know it.
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A technologist making the leap to run an airline raised eyebrows among some, but Ravishankar argues the surprise is misplaced. "I'm the third person with a tech background of the last five CEOs. As much as it seems like an anomaly, Air New Zealand has had a history of taking slightly bigger bets on technology being a key enabler for the airline. I'm following in the footsteps of giants in that space."
That Air New Zealand keeps reaching for tech leaders is itself telling. A mid-sized carrier with fewer scale advantages than its largest competitors has spent years trying to differentiate through technology and customer experience. Ravishankar's goal is to be "the world's leading AI-powered
