Air India has named former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam as its new chief executive officer, a move that comes as the carrier grapples with mounting financial losses and the aftermath of last year's deadly crash that killed 260 people.
Gebremariam succeeds Campbell Wilson, who stepped down in April. Wilson, a former Singapore Airlines executive, was hired after the Tata Group acquired Air India from the Indian government in 2022. He had signaled in 2024 his intention to leave in 2026 and had been preparing the airline for a smooth transition.
Gebremariam previously led Ethiopian Airlines for over a decade, growing the regional carrier into one of Africa's largest and most profitable airlines. During his tenure, the airline's fleet nearly tripled, and it became a dominant player on the continent.
Air India chairman N. Chandrasekaran welcomed the appointment, stating that the initial phase of stabilization, integration, and fleet commitments under Wilson's guidance is complete, and Air India is now entering a critical execution and expansion era. Gebremariam expressed his ambition to build a "world-class global airline" that reflects India's extraordinary economic potential.
However, Gebremariam faces a daunting task. He takes over as the airline deals with a series of safety and operational challenges, highlighted by last June's fatal Ahmedabad-London crash. The final crash report is due in October, and the incident has been a major setback to the airline's ambitions.
The airline has continued to struggle since returning to private ownership, reporting a record loss of nearly $2.3 billion last month. Chandrasekaran has warned that a turnaround could take up to a decade. Air India has also cut nearly a third of its international operations.
In March, a Delhi-Vancouver flight turned back after nearly eight hours because it lacked clearance to enter Canadian airspace, adding to the airline's operational woes. These troubles come as India's broader aviation sector faces pressure from rising costs, disrupted international routes due to the Iran war, aircraft delivery delays, and tighter regulatory scrutiny.
Aviation experts suggest that Gebremariam may be the leader Air India needs, pointing to his handling of two defining crises at Ethiopian Airlines: the 2019 Boeing 737 Max crash that killed 157 people and the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the airline stayed profitable by expanding its cargo business as passenger revenues collapsed.
Sanjay Lazar, CEO of Avialaz Consultants, told the BBC that Gebremariam endeared himself to employees during both black swan events, especially his backing of pilots and engineers at Ethiopian. Experts say his priorities at Air India will include rebuilding workplace culture, lifting employee morale, accelerating delayed fleet expansion and refurbishment, and reshaping the airline's network to stem losses.
Air India has not yet announced when Gebremariam will take over, saying details will be revealed later.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk