The appointment of Indian-origin Nikhil Ravishankar as the next chief executive of Air New Zealand sparked a wave of racist abuse online, prompting several major local media outlets to disable comments on their social media posts.
Ravishankar, the airline’s current Chief Digital Officer, will take over from outgoing CEO Greg Foran in October. His elevation marks a significant milestone, as he becomes the first Indian-origin leader to head one of New Zealand’s most respected corporate brands. However, the announcement was quickly marred by bigoted remarks focused on his ethnicity.
The New Zealand Herald, Radio New Zealand (RNZ), and TVNZ’s 1News all took the unusual step of disabling or restricting comments on their respective platforms.
A Herald post announcing the news on Facebook was flooded with hate speech, forcing the outlet to shut down the comment section. “We appreciate the high level of interest in this story but cannot safely moderate it at this time,” the Herald wrote, citing its commitment to fostering a safe online space.
RNZ echoed this approach. “The comments were disabled after our monitoring found racist comments,” an RNZ spokesperson said, noting their policy to proactively restrict discussions that risk harmful communication.
1News similarly turned off comments after their team was diverted to cover a tsunami event and could not adequately moderate the post.
Ravishankar is a homegrown talent, having attended Mount Albert Grammar and graduated from the University of Auckland with degrees in science and commerce. He has held senior leadership roles across Vector New Zealand, Spark, and Accenture, and has been a pivotal figure in Air New Zealand’s digital transformation since 2019. He also serves on the board of New Zealand Asian Leaders and is an advisor to The Auckland Blues Foundation.
In his first public remarks following the announcement, Ravishankar said:
“This airline is an institution with a deep legacy but also a fantastic future… It’s a privilege to step into the CEO role and take on that responsibility for our people, our customers, and our country.”
Former colleagues, like Leeanne Langridge, expressed dismay over the incident on LinkedIn. “I’ve been deeply disappointed to witness the racist comments directed at Nikhil Ravishankar,” she wrote.
“Let me be absolutely clear: this behaviour is unacceptable and does not represent the New Zealand I know and love… Racism thrives in silence.”
Critics were quick to point out the hypocrisy of those questioning Ravishankar’s “Kiwi-ness”. In contrast, Air India’s current CEO is a New Zealander—Campbell Wilson—whose appointment in 2022 attracted no such backlash in India. Wilson, who hails from Christchurch, has spent decades in global aviation leadership, including with Singapore Airlines and Scoot.
Observers say Air New Zealand’s board, chaired by Dame Therese Walsh, chose Ravishankar on merit from a highly competitive international field. His appointment signals not only a generational shift but also a vote of confidence in local talent.
New Zealand’s latest Census shows that the Indian community is now the country’s third-largest ethnic group, numbering over 292,000. Despite this demographic shift, the reaction to Ravishankar’s appointment highlights lingering issues of race and representation in public life.
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