印度航空新CEO拟压减A350特伦特XWB发动机维护成本，已与罗尔斯·罗伊斯等服务商初步接触

Air India Ltd.’s new Chief Executive Officer Tewolde Gebremariam is discussing ways to reduce the cost of maintaining the carrier’s A350 fleet as he seeks savings across the airline, according to people familiar with the matter.

Air India operates six Airbus SE 350-900 aircraft — powered by Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc’s Trent XWB engines — on key routes to the US and Europe. The carrier in 2023 placed a record order for 80 Trent XWB engines, along with options for 20 more.

Tewolde, who took the helm of the loss-making airline last month, has raised concerns over the higher-than-expected cost of running and maintaining the engines, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. Air India, which uses Airbus Flight Hour Services and opted for Rolls-Royce’s TotalCaremaintenance program, has held initial discussions with service providers, the people said.

Maintenance costs are higher than anticipated when the deals were signed and that has been flagged to the companies too, they said.

The focus on costs comes as Tewolde, the former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, seeks to turn around Air India’s fortunes. The carrier posted a record annual loss of more than 220 billion rupees ($2.3 billion) last fiscal year, and is seeking 100 billion rupees in funding from its owners Tata Sons Pvt. and Singapore Airlines Ltd., which are both facing scrutiny over tipping in more support.

Representatives for Air India, Airbus and Rolls Royce did not respond to emailed queries.

Read More: Air India Plans to Downsize With Owner Tata Balking at Losses

Tewolde is seeking to bolster Air India’s cargo business, which uses only around 35% of its capacity on average, people familiar said earlier in September. He has also told staff that he wants them to start working on a plan to reduce maintenance issues, especially given the airline’s fleet isn’t very old. India’s aviation regulator said last year that the airline had more safety-related issues than rivals.

Tewolde is also considering folding budget carrier Air India Express into the main group.

Reducing losses is also a key demand by majority owner, Tata Sons, which is embroiled in a power struggle over Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran’s tenure, and a regulatory push to list. Tata Sons, the holding company of the coffee-to-cars conglomerate, has directed the airline to slow down expansion and consolidate.