Tewolde Gebremariam to take operational leadership of Air India amid airline's challenges

According to The Economic Times, Tewolde Gebremariam, former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, will begin overseeing the operations of Air India on Monday. This comes nearly six months after Campbell Wilson left his post as the airline's CEO.

Gebremariam joined Air India at the beginning of last month but has not yet been officially appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and responsible manager, as the completion of his clearance check is expected by the end of the month. His appointment coincides with the efforts of the Tata Group-owned airline to strengthen its financial position, operational reliability, and safety standards.

Before joining Air India, Gebremariam served as a Senior Strategic Advisor at Delta Air Lines. According to the report, since joining the Tata airline, he has been overseen by Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, and Pradip Singh Harola, who previously held positions as Chairman and Managing Director of Air India.

Chandrasekaran to hold general meeting

N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, will hold a general meeting for Air India employees today in Mumbai. According to Businessline, at this meeting, he plans to welcome Gebremariam and present the airline's development roadmap. This will also be Gebremariam's first opportunity to interact with Air India staff since his arrival, and he is expected to meet with department heads individually.

Air India's problems

Gebremariam's appointment comes amidst growing difficulties for Air India. The Tata Group-owned airline faces several serious challenges, including increasing losses, the need to attract new funding, and heightened scrutiny in safety matters. According to The Economic Times report, in the fiscal year 26, the airline recorded losses exceeding 26,000 crore rupees and requested an additional equity infusion of 10,000 crore rupees from its owners—Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines.

Furthermore, the airline is under intense scrutiny regarding safety following the fatal accident in Ahmedabad in June 2025, which resulted in more than 270 deaths. A more recent incident occurred on August 4 when a flight from Phuket to Delhi suddenly lost altitude, causing injuries to about 20 passengers and four crew members.

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