New Delhi, Sept. 7 -- Air India's incoming chief executive officer (CEO) Tewolde Gebremariam has told employees to focus on the basics, from punctual departures and baggage delivery to clean aircraft, while making safety the top priority as he prepares to take charge of the Tata-owned airline.

Gebremariam is awaiting mandatory regulatory clearances before formally assuming the role, succeeding Campbell Wilson. At an employee townhall on Monday attended by Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran and Wilson, Gebremariam said operational excellence starts with consistently delivering on the fundamentals.

"Operational excellence is about getting the basics right every day: on-time departures, on-time arrivals, baggage delivery and clean aircra...