New Delhi: Air India has appointed former Ethiopian Airlines Group chief Mr Tewolde Gebremariam as its new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, succeeding Campbell Wilson as the Tata Group-owned airline enters a new phase of growth and execution.

The leadership transition comes as Air India continues to navigate significant financial and operational challenges, including heavy losses and the investigation into the Boeing Dreamliner crash at Ahmedabad airport last year, in which 260 people lost their lives.

Mr Campbell Wilson, a former Singapore Airlines executive, became Air India’s CEO and Managing Director in 2022 after the Tata Group took over the loss-making Government-owned airline. Air India had earlier announced that he was keen to leave the top post, prompting a search for his successor.

During his decade-plus tenure as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, Mr Gebremariam spearheaded a multi-billion-dollar expansion that transformed the regional carrier into Africa’s largest and most profitable airline group. Revenue grew more than fourfold and the fleet nearly threefold. Air India said his strengths include managing complex operational landscapes, driving cultural transformation, building competitive global hubs, and developing world-class Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and aviation training infrastructure.

Air India recorded a loss of $2.8 billion for financial year 2025–26, according to the annual report of Singapore Airlines released recently. The loss-making carrier has also been forced to cancel several international flights in recent months amid the closure of Pakistan’s airspace and the conflict in the Middle East, affecting 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.

Under Mr Gebremariam, 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 high standards of aviation safety and compliance. Air India said he brings strong experience in expanding international long-haul networks and developing world-class hub operations, alongside a commitment to safety standards, engineering quality and operational reliability.

Tata Sons and Air India Chairman Mr N Chandrasekaran said the airline had completed its initial phase of stabilisation, integration and fleet commitments under Mr Wilson and was now entering a critical execution and expansion era. He said Mr Gebremariam’s track record in building one of the world’s most efficient and profitable airline groups made him uniquely suited to lead Air India.

The Board also thanked Mr Wilson for his leadership during the airline’s revitalisation, including complex merger and integration processes, major fleet modernisation programmes and the establishment of new corporate governance standards. Air India said further details regarding the exact onboarding timeline and transition schedule would be shared in due course.