VOI World/ Desk
Nikhil Ravishankar, chief digital officer at Air New Zealand, has been appointed as the airline’s new CEO, set to assume office on October 20, 2025. He is the first person of Indian origin to hold the role at the national carrier.
The announcement triggered a wave of racist backlash on social media, prompting major New Zealand media outlets – including the New Zealand Herald, Radio New Zealand, and TVNZ’s 1News – to disable comments on their posts due to hate-filled responses targeting Ravishankar’s ethnicity.
Ravishankar brings nearly five years of experience at Air New Zealand, leading digital transformation and improvements in customer services. Prior to this, he served as Chief Digital Officer at Vector New Zealand and held leadership roles at Accenture and Spark across Asia-Pacific regions.
In his first remarks, Ravishankar said he feels “both thrilled and humbled” to lead an airline with a rich legacy and a promising future in serving its people and country. The decision to appoint him reflects a commitment to diversity and modern leadership in New Zealand’s corporate world.
His appointment has drawn attention not just for its significance in breaking representation barriers, but also for exposing lingering racial bias. It comes against the backdrop of strong growth in New Zealand’s Indian community, which became the third largest ethnic group in the 2023 national census .
