Air India Appoints New CEO

Synopsis

On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, Air India named ex-Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam as CEO. The decision comes after the airline faced considerable losses and heavy backlash due to its crash last year.

Advertisement

Why the New Change for Air India?

Tewolde Gebremariam, an industry veteran with an experience of more than 40 years in aviation, is believed to be bringing his own expertise to drive the turnaround of the company following last year’s deadly crash that resulted in the deaths of 274 people and a great number of casualties.

The appointment thus concludes the carrier’s months-long search for a chief executive during its most challenging period ever since returning to Tata Group ownership in 2022.

Advertisement

What Was the Objective of the Board?

The committee rigorously evaluated its internal as well as external candidates who were deemed fit for the position from around the world. The objective of the board was to find a leader with a proven record of managing mega- scale airline turnarounds, delivering operational excellence, fostering a strong culture of safety and service, and driving profitable expansion.

Following an intensive evaluation process, the board came to the unanimous conclusion that Mr. Gebremariam was fit for the position as he showcased a combination of leadership, deep operational expertise, and strategic execution capability required by Air India for its growth.

Gebremariam’s Expertise

Tewolde Gebremariam is popularly known for being one of the most successful aviation chief executives. During his decade-plus tenure as CEO of the Ethiopian Airlines Group, he led a multi-billion-dollar expansion, and transformed a regional airline into Africa’s largest, most profitable, and decorated airline group- growing revenue by more than fourfold and fleet size nearly threefold.

Tewolde further guided Ethiopian Airlines through two major crises: the COVID-19 pandemic without government aid and the fatal 2019 Boeing (BA.N) 737 MAX crash.

Advertisement

Challenge Ahead

Tewolde succeeds Campbell Wilson, who resigned in April 2026, nearly a year after the disastrous plane crash, as Air India continued to post losses. He will step down on September 30, 2026, after serving his notice period.

Wilson spent four years steering Air India’s revival after Tata’s takeover, overseeing the Vistara merger, brand overhaul and fleet modernisation.

John Strickland stated "Some of the fruits of Wilson's efforts were only just beginning to be seen when the unfortunate crash happened; there is more work to be done,". He further added, "But Gebremariam is coming in with a good combination of his own experience and very good foundations."

Air India Group posted a record loss of more than $2 billion in fiscal 2025-26, according to Singapore Airlines' annual report. Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI) owns about 25% of Air India, with Tata Sons holding the rest.

Towards Success

With Air India entering a critical execution and expansion phase, the airline’s turnaround could take up to a decade with the scale of challenge facing its new CEO.

"It's not going to be some overnight sensation that suddenly changes because there's a new boss. It will continue to take time, but Tewolde Gebremariam is better equipped than any other theoretical candidate for the role," Strickland said.