Air India’s new CEO faces financial and safety turbulence
Air India has named Tewolde Gebremariam, the former long-serving chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines, as its new CEO, tasking him with steering the carrier through severe financial and safety pressures. He succeeds Campbell Wilson, who stepped down in April, at a critical juncture for the airline, which is still reckoning with the aftermath of last June's fatal Ahmedabad-London crash that killed 260 people, with a final report due in October.
Air India, bought by Tata Group from the Indian government in 2022, posted a record loss of nearly $2.3bn (£1.7bn) last month, and chairman N Chandrasekaran has warned a full turnaround could take up to a decade. The airline, which operates 198 aircraft across nearly 5,000 weekly flights to 91 destinations, has also cut around a third of its international operations and suffered operational mishaps, including a Delhi-Vancouver flight that turned back after eight hours in March. Aviation experts believe Gebremariam's experience handling Ethiopian Airlines' 2019 Boeing 737 Max crash and the Covid pandemic makes him well suited to rebuilding morale and stemming losses at Air India.
In short
- Tewolde Gebremariam named new Air India CEO, replacing Campbell Wilson
- Airline reported a $2.3bn annual loss and safety concerns persist
- Final report into fatal 2024 Ahmedabad-London crash due in October
Explained simply
Air India was owned by India’s government for decades before the Tata Group bought it in 2022. The airline runs domestic and international flights, and its new owner has been trying to improve its finances and operations.
The airline is facing large losses and scrutiny over safety after a crash last June that killed 260 people; investigators’ final report is expected in October. Its former chief executive, Campbell Wilson, stepped down in April, and the airline’s chairman has said a full recovery could take years.
Tewolde Gebremariam, who previously led Ethiopian Airlines for many years, is taking charge at Air India. His experience includes leading that airline through a fatal 2019 crash and the Covid pandemic, periods that tested its safety response and finances.