Who is Tewolde Gebremariam? Former Ethiopian Airlines chief succeeds Campbell Wilson as Air India CEO

Air India Ltd. on Wednesday named Tewolde Gebremariam as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Campbell Wilson, as the Tata Group-owned airline works to recover from last year's fatal plane crash and tackle rising financial losses caused by geopolitical disruptions.

Wilson stepped down in April after the airline posted its highest-ever annual loss for the financial year that ended on March 31.

Who is Tewolde Gebremariam?

According to the airline's statement, Tewolde previously served with the Ethiopian Airlines Group.

Tewolde Gebremariam holds a degree in economics from Addis Ababa University and later completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from The Open University. In 2019, Addis Ababa University conferred upon him an honorary doctorate.

As per his LinkedIn profile, Gebremariam spent more than 36 years with Ethiopian Airlines. He led the airline as Group Chief Executive Officer from 2011 until 2022.

Gebremariam's international assignments included serving as Regional Director for India and Southeast Asia from Mumbai, before taking over as Area Manager for Saudi Arabia in Jeddah. Following Ethiopian Airlines' launch of direct services to the United States, he was appointed Area Sales Manager for the Northeast US and Canada, based in New York.

He continued to climb the ranks at Ethiopian Airlines, becoming Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales in 2004 and later Chief Operating Officer in 2006. In the COO role, he supervised the airline's commercial operations, flight operations, customer services, and maintenance and engineering functions.

According to the Tata Group-owned airline, Gebremariam's key strengths include managing complex operational environments, leading organisational and cultural transformation, developing globally competitive aviation hubs, and establishing world-class Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities as well as aviation training infrastructure.

In his new role, he will focus on stabilising Air India's international operations, reducing cash outflow and navigating flight disruptions and route changes triggered by regional conflicts, as per Bloomberg.

What did chairman N Chandrasekaran say?

Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran, in a release, said that having completed the initial phase of stabilisation, integration, and fleet commitments under Campbell's guidance, the airline is now entering a critical execution and expansion era.

"On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Tewolde to Air India. 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," he said.

“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,” Chandrasekaran added.

Tewolde Gebremariam reacts

Gebremariam stated it was a great honour to be entrusted with leading the airline at a pivotal stage in its journey. He said Air India has a rich legacy and described the opportunity to build a world-class global carrier that reflects India's growing economic potential as a uniquely exciting one.

“It is a profound honour to be entrusted with leading Air India at such a historic moment in its journey. Air India carries an incredible legacy, and the opportunity to build a world-class global airline that reflects India’s extraordinary economic potential is uniquely exciting. I look forward to working closely with Chairman Chandrasekaran, the Board, our employees, and all government and industry partners to deliver exceptional operational reliability, warm Indian hospitality, and sustained long-term growth,” he said, as per the release.

Transformation plan, deadly Ahmedabad crash

Since the Tata Group took back control of the erstwhile state-owned carrier in 2022, Air India has launched an extensive turnaround plan that includes placing record aircraft orders, modernising its ageing fleet and merging operations with other Tata Group airlines.

However, the airline suffered its biggest blow in June 2025 when Air India Flight 171, a London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad. The accident claimed the lives of 241 of the 242 people on board, along with 19 people on the ground.