Stories

Thu, 06 Aug 2026

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 Air India's new CEO faces financial and safety turbulence

The aftermath of last's year deadly crash and mounting financial losses will be Gebremariam's main challenges.

* Former Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam has been appointed as the new CEO of Air India.
* He succeeds Campbell Wilson, who stepped down in April and had planned to leave in 2026.
* Gebremariam was chosen by Air India's board after a search process, citing his leadership and operational expertise.
* His appointment comes at a challenging time for Air India, which has been dealing with heavy financial losses and the fallout from last year's crash that killed 260 people.
* The airline has reported a record loss of nearly $2.3bn last month and has cut nearly a third of its international operations.
* Gebremariam faces the task of rebuilding workplace culture, lifting employee morale, accelerating fleet expansion and refurbishment, and reshaping the airline's network to stem losses.
* He has experience in navigating crises, having led Ethiopian Airlines through the 2019 Boeing 737 Max crash and the Covid pandemic.