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Informist, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026

 

--Air India appoints Tewolde Gebremariam as MD, CEO 

 

MUMBAI – Tata Group-owned Air India Wednesday announced the appointment of Tewolde Gebremariam as its chief executive officer and managing director, succeeding Campbell Wilson, who had resigned in April. Gebremariam was the longest-serving chief executive officer of Ethiopian Airlines. He held that position between 2011 and 2022.

 

"The objective of the Board was to identify 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," Air India said in a statement. As per the board, Gebremariam has the ideal combination of leadership, deep operational expertise, and strategic execution needed to fuel Air India's next phase of growth.

 

Gebremariam has the tools to manage complex operational landscapes, drive cultural transformation, build competitive global hubs, and develop a world-class maintenance, repair, and overhaul infrastructure, as per Air India.

 

Campbell's tenure was to end in 2027 but he stepped down early, saying the time was right for him to hand over charge. The Tata Group is in the process of rebuilding Air India, which was under state control for almost 70 years. 

 

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

 

Crucially, Air India said Gebremariam has a track record of driving sustained profitability. For the financial year 2025-26 (Apr-Mar), it had reported a net loss of roughly INR 222.38 billion, up from a loss of INR 108.59 billion in FY25. Its revenues for FY26 stood at INR 718.70 billion, down from INR 786.36 billion for FY25.

 

Air India's transformation is expected to be a journey of 5-10 years, Tata Sons said in its annual report for FY26, "... considering the years-long supply chain disruptions in key components, the need to overhaul legacy systems, culture and fleet, and the creation of a large cadre of technical and airline professionals".  End

 

Reported by Anand JC

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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