You've got to feel a bit for the Air New Zealand boss.

If ever there was a poisoned chalice, he's drinking from it. He's glugging it back. Drowning in it.

They've suspended their guidance after the gas price went nuts. Doubled on Iran. That's after announcing a loss of $60 million for the half year.

And now they're hiking prices up to $90 on international fares and, reportedly, looking at cutting some routes.

On top of all that you've got David Seymour barking loudly about selling half of you off.

His problems are financial, but the implications are very political. As they always are for the boss of our national carrier.

It's up there with the PM and Rennie's job at NZR in terms of profile and criticism.

But when the going gets tough, you've got to front.

If an NZX update of the kind we saw yesterday was put out by the CEO of a company not half owned by voters, then you'd get away with no public interviews.

But that is not the case for Air NZ.

I spoke to Greg Foran the other day —another Air NZ boss who timed his landing into the job terribly (Covid)— and thanked him for always fronting to the public when the going got tough.

Over the years, he made himself very available. Didn't really matter whether the news was good or bad. There was plenty of bad, engine issues, prices, Covid travel refunds, etc.

Which begs the question, as the airline faces new headwinds, where in the world is Nikhil Ravishankar?

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Ryan Bridge: Where in the world is Nikhil Ravishankar?