Air India has announced the appointment of former Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam as its new chief executive and managing director, four months after Campbell Wilson resigned, as the Tata Group-owned carrier enters the next phase of its transformation focused on expansion and profitability.
The appointment follows a global search overseen by a committee of Air India's board, which evaluated both internal and external candidates before unanimously selecting Gebremariam.
He will formally assume charge once his appointment receives security clearance from the ministry of home affairs and the bureau of civil aviation security, a mandatory requirement for all airline CEOs in India. The regulatory vetting is a sensitive step for Air India. Prior to Campbell Wilson’s appointment, the airline had selected former Turkish Airlines chairman Ilker Ayci for the role. However, Ayci declined the position weeks before taking office following widespread pushback over his political ties.
The leadership change also sets the stage for a new contest in Indian aviation. With India's two largest airlines now led by globally recognised aviation executives—Air India by Gebremariam and IndiGo by former International Air Transport Association director general Willie Walsh—the country's aviation market enters a new phase of competition centred on international expansion and operational excellence. While Air India took four months to name a new CEO, Walsh’s appointment in March came three weeks after Pieter Elbers abruptly stepped down from the position at IndiGo.
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Tewolde Gebremariam is the former Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, where he led significant growth and operational improvements for over a decade. He has been appointed as the new CEO of Air India to drive its transformation and profitability.
Air India appointed Gebremariam due to his extensive experience in leading airline turnarounds and expanding international operations, which are crucial for Air India as it faces rising losses and increasing competition.
Under Gebremariam's leadership, Ethiopian Airlines' revenue grew from $1 billion in 2011 to $5 billion by 2022, and its fleet nearly tripled, establishing it as Africa's largest and most profitable airline.
Air India is tackling significant financial losses, operational disruptions due to geopolitical tensions, and the need for a long-term turnaround strategy as it aims to stabilize and expand its international operations.
No, the chairman of Air India indicated that the airline's turnaround will likely take 5 to 10 years, acknowledging the formidable challenges that lie ahead.
Gebremariam, 61, led Ethiopian Airlines Group for more than a decade, during which time the airline became Africa's largest and most profitable carrier. Under his leadership, the group's revenue increased more than fourfold while its fleet nearly tripled, the company said in a press statement. He also oversaw the development of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities, aviation training infrastructure and global hub operations.
Incidentally, Gebremariam stepped down from Ethiopian Airlines in March 2022, citing health reasons. Ethiopian Airlines said at the time it had agreed to Gebremariam’s early retirement as he had sought medical treatment in the US and was unable to work from the airline’s head office in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
In a LinkedIn post, Gebremariam wrote that under his watch, Ethiopian Airlines’ revenue grew from $1 billion in 2011 to $5 billion by 2022, and profit reached $1 billion. Air India will be hoping he can replicate this turnaround as it battles mounting losses and navigates an increasingly challenging operating environment. According to the Tata Sons Annual Report 2025-26, Air India Group reported a combined net loss of ₹22,238 crore in FY26, more than double the ₹10,859 crore loss recorded a year earlier, while combined revenue declined nearly 9% to ₹71,870 crore.
The airline said Gebremariam's experience in leading large-scale airline turnarounds, expanding international operations and building profitable aviation businesses made him the preferred choice to steer Air India through its next stage of growth.
"Having completed the initial phase of stabilization, integration, and fleet commitments under Campbell's guidance, Air India is now entering a critical execution and expansion era," Air India chairman N. Chandrasekaran said. He added that Gebremariam's operational expertise and experience in building one of the world's most efficient airline groups would be instrumental in establishing Air India as a premier global carrier.
Gebremariam described the appointment as "a profound honour" and said he looked forward to building a world-class airline that reflects India's growing economic stature. Over the past four years, Gebremariam has led his consulting firm, TGM Advisory Services LLC, while also serving as a senior strategic advisor to Delta Air Lines.
Mint first reported on 6 April that Air India CEO Campbell Wilson had resigned. On 7 April, the airline confirmed his resignation and said Wilson had conveyed his intention to step down in 2026 to Chandrasekaran back in 2024 and, since then, had been working to ensure the organization and leadership team was on a stable footing for the transition.
Wilson's exit and Gebremariam's appointment come at a crucial juncture for Air India as Chandrasekaran oversees one of the world's most ambitious airline turnarounds. Addressing shareholders, Chandrasekaran reiterated that reviving the Tata Group-owned carrier would be a 5-10 year journey, acknowledging the formidable challenges it faced in FY26.
The board also thanked outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson for leading Air India's post-privatisation revival, including overseeing the merger and integration of the airline's businesses, launching fleet modernisation programmes and strengthening corporate governance. The airline said details of the leadership transition timeline will be announced later.
Wilson’s tenure was marked by significant headwinds. In his third year, on 12 June 2025, an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed shortly after takeoff, triggering intense scrutiny, inspections, and the temporary grounding of several aircraft, which strained operations. This was followed by the India-Pakistan conflict, which led to the closure of Pakistan’s airspace, disrupting international routes for Indian carriers. Ongoing tensions in West Asia further compounded challenges, pushing up fuel costs, lengthening flight durations, and limiting viable routes.
