Air India names Tewolde Gebremariam as new CEO

Air India announced the appointment of Tewolde Gebremariam as the airline’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, succeeding Campbell Wilson. This executive transition marks a pivotal juncture in Air India’s transformation journey to become a world-class, leading global airline. Tewolde Gebremariam The objective of its search, the board announced, “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. Following an intensive evaluation process, the Board unanimously concluded that Mr. Gebremariam possesses the ideal combination of leadership, deep operational expertise, and strategic execution capability required for Air India’s next phase of growth.” Gebremariam is the former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group where 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, the board said. As Air India shifts from its foundational turnaround phase into a high growth & profitable execution phase, Gebremariam brings crucial capabilities required for Air India’s next leg of journey. 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 a deep experience in workforce upskilling, talent development, and embedding a high-performance, customer-first service culture. 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.” Gebremariam 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.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]