Air India appoints former Ethiopian Airlines head Tewolde Gebremariam as new CEO

Air India on Wednesday appointed former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam as its new CEO and Managing Director to replace Campbell Wilson. 

The change comes amid the Tata Group airline piling up massive losses and facing an investigation into its Boeing Dreamliner crash at Ahmedabad airport last year, in which 260 people lost their lives. 

Wilson, a former Singapore Airlines executive, became the CEO and Managing Director of Air India in 2022 after the Tata Group took over the loss-making Government-owned airline. Air India had announced earlier that he was keen to quit the top post and a hunt was on to find a new CEO to replace him. 

During his decade-plus tenure as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, Gebremariam spearheaded a multi-billion-dollar expansion, transforming a regional carrier into Africa’s largest, most profitable airline group, growing revenue by more than fourfold and fleet size nearly threefold. His strength lies in managing complex operational landscapes, driving cultural transformation, building competitive global hubs, and developing world-class MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) and aviation training infrastructure, the Air India statement said. 

Air India piled up a loss of $2.8 billion for the financial year 2025-26, according to the annual report of Singapore Airlines released recently. 

Loss-making Air India has been forced to cancel several international flights in recent ⁠months due to the closure of Pakistan’s airspace and the Middle East conflict, which has adversely impacted its revival plans. 

"Following an intensive evaluation process, the Air India Board unanimously concluded that Gebremariam possesses the ideal combination of leadership, deep operational expertise, and strategic execution capability required for Air India’s next phase of growth," Air India said in a statement. 

Under Gebremariam’s leadership, the airline will work closely with civil aviation authorities and regulators to strengthen India’s position as a premier global aviation hub, enhance international connectivity, and maintain the highest benchmarks of aviation safety and compliance, the airline said. 

As Air India shifts from its foundational turnaround phase into a high-growth & profitable execution phase, Gebremariam brings crucial capabilities required for Air India’s next leg of journey. He has strong experience in expanding international long-haul networks and building world-class hub operations, an unrelenting commitment to safety standards, engineering quality, and operational reliability. He also has a track record of driving sustained profitability. While navigating complex economic cycles and dynamic global markets, with a deep experience in workforce upskilling, talent development, and embedding a high-performance, customer-first service culture, the Air India statement said. 

Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said: "Having completed the initial phase of stabilisation, integration, and fleet commitments under Campbell’s guidance, Air India is now entering a critical execution and expansion era. Tewolde’s track record in building one of the world's most efficient and profitable airline groups makes him uniquely suited to lead Air India. His operational expertise, commitment to safety, and vision for hub development will be instrumental as we establish Air India as a premier global carrier and a source of national pride." 

This leadership transition reinforces Air India’s alignment with national priorities and stakeholder expectations. 

Indo-Asian News Service