Air New Zealand appoints Vector's Nikhil Ravishankar as its chief digital officer

Air NZ's new chief digital officer Nikhil Ravishankar. Photo / Supplied

Air New Zealand has appointed Nikhil Ravishankar as its chief digital officer, a key role in the airline's recovery from Covid-19.

Ravishankar is currently in the same post at Vector New Zealand, having led the company's digital and information technology function and its transformation programme since 2017.

At Air New Zealand he will replace Jennifer Sepull, who this year resigned after two years in the role, moving back home to the United States.

Ravishankar was managing director at Accenture New Zealand and head of technology strategy at Telecom New Zealand (now Spark).

Air NZ's chief executive, Greg Foran, said Ravishankar would bring a wealth of knowledge to the executive team. His appointment followed a global search for Sepull's replacement.

"Digital will play an important role in our recovery from Covid-19, and as a key pillar in our strategy, we've got big plans for what we want to achieve in the digital space. Nikhil's industry expertise will ensure we deliver on what we set out to do."

Air New Zealand has a strong track record of introducing technology early to ease the passenger journey, ranging from check-in kiosks to tracking bands for unaccompanied minors. Foran has talked about the need to cut more pain points out of passenger journeys.

The airline is also trialling digital health passports which the International Air Transport Association (Iata) says will be crucial to avoid potential airport chaos as travel resumes.

Pre-Covid-19, passengers, on average, spent about one and a half hours in travel processes for every journey (check-in, security, border control, customs, and baggage claim).

Iata says current data indicates that airport processing times have ballooned to three hours during peak time with travel volumes at only about 30 per cent of pre-Ccovid levels. The greatest increases are at check-in and border control (emigration and immigration) where travel health credentials are being checked mainly as paper documents.

Modelling suggests that, without process improvements, the time spent in airport processes could reach five and half hours per trip at 75 per cent pre-Covid traffic levels, and eight hours per trip at 100 per cent pre-Covid-19 traffic levels.

The Air New Zealand announcement marks another movement in the airline's executive, largely unrecognisable from the beginning of last year.

Since then chief people officer Jodie King has been replaced (following a pre-Covid announcement), long-serving executives Nick Judd, Mike Tod and John Whittaker were cut loose and revenue boss Cam Wallace and chief financial officer Jeff McDowell have gone.

Ravishankar is a member of the AUT AUTEUR Influencer Network, on the board of New Zealand Asian Leaders and is an advisory committee member of the Blues Foundation. He holds a BSc and a BCom (Hons) from the University of Auckland.