Air India have chosen Tewolde Gebremariam, former head of Ethiopian Airlines, as their new CEO.
The board said the choice was unanimous, citing Gebremariam’s success in turning Ethiopian into one of Africa’s largest airlines. He will take over from Campbell Wilson, who took charge of Air India in 2022 after the Indian government sold the carrier to the Tata Group.
N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, 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.
Wilson’s departure was confirmed earlier this year, capping a difficult few years for the Indian airline. The fatal Ahmedabad-London crash in June 2025 severely dented the airline’s global reputation for safety, and has placed operations under intense scrutiny. Competition from regional rivals IndiGo and rising jet fuel prices have intensified the pressure on Air India.
The airline operates nearly 5,000 flights a week, but last week reported record losses of US$2.3 billion. Gebremariam will have his work cut out trying to improve profitability, a turnaround Chandrasekaran says could take a decade.
Nevertheless, the new CEO has experience managing challenges of this scale. Under his leadership at Ethiopian, in 2019 a Boeing 737 Max crash killed 157 people. He also helped the airline navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, rapidly expanding its cargo arm to plug the sudden drop in passenger traffic.
In a statement, Gebremariam said it was a ‘profound honour’ to lead Air India into its next chapter:
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.
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