Air India appoints ex-Ethiopian Airlines boss as CEO & MD

Air India today announced the appointment of Tewolde Gebremariam as the airline’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, succeeding Campbell Wilson.

"The Board conducted a comprehensive search to identify the next leader for Air India, overseen by a dedicated Board committee. The committee rigorously evaluated internal as well as highly accomplished external candidates from across the world," reads the release.

N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, said: "On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Tewolde to Air India. 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. 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."

Tewolde Gebremariam, Incoming CEO & Managing Director, said: "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."

Air India said the board's objective was to identify a leader with a proven track record of managing large-scale airline turnarounds, delivering operational excellence, fostering a strong culture of safety and service, and driving profitable growth. "Following an intensive evaluation process, the Board unanimously concluded that Gebremariam possesses the ideal combination of leadership, deep operational expertise, and strategic execution capability required for Air India’s next phase of growth," the release reads.

Gebremariam is widely recognised as one of the most successful aviation chief executives. During his decade-plus tenure as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, he spearheaded a multi-billion-dollar expansion, transforming a regional carrier into Africa’s largest, most profitable, and decorated airline group—growing revenue by more than fourfold and fleet size nearly threefold. His unique strength lies in managing complex operational landscapes, driving cultural transformation, building competitive global hubs, and developing world-class MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) and aviation training infrastructure.

Air India said it is moving from its foundational turnaround phase into a high-growth, profitable execution phase, and that Gebremariam brings the capabilities needed to support the airline's next stage of growth. "He has strong experience in expanding international long-haul networks and building world-class hub operations, an unrelenting commitment to safety standards, engineering quality, and operational reliability. He also has a track record of driving sustained profitability. While navigating complex economic cycles and dynamic global markets, together with deep experience in workforce upskilling, talent development, and embedding a high-performance, customer-first service culture.

The airline said the leadership transition reinforces the airline's alignment with national priorities and stakeholder expectations, adding that it remains committed to supporting India's civil aviation ambitions and broader economic vision. "Under Gebremariam’s leadership, Air India will work closely with civil aviation authorities and regulators to strengthen India’s position as a premier global aviation hub, enhance international connectivity, and maintain the highest benchmarks of aviation safety and compliance."

The Board also thanked Campbell Wilson for his leadership over the past phase of Air India’s revitalisation. He successfully oversaw complex merger and integration processes, initiated massive fleet modernisation programmes, established new corporate governance standards, and laid the foundations that were necessary for the future.