Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson announced his resignation on April 7, 2026, after nearly four years leading the Tata Group-owned carrier through its post-privatization overhaul. The New Zealand native, who joined in July 2022 following 25 years at Singapore Airlines, informed Chairman N. Chandrasekaran of his plans to step down as early as 2024. He will remain in the position until the board appoints a successor, with a search committee already formed.
During his tenure, Air India merged four airlines, added over 100 aircraft to its fleet, nearly completed narrowbody cabin retrofits, and began widebody deliveries featuring custom interiors. The carrier also invested in training and maintenance, including South Asia’s largest aviation academy and a new MRO base. Wilson described the timing as a transition point ahead of major deliveries from a nearly 600-aircraft order book starting in 2027.
Chandrasekaran credited Wilson with tenacity amid post-Covid supply chain issues, aircraft delays, retrofit setbacks, and geopolitical challenges. The exit occurs amid financial strain, with Air India and Air India Express reporting a combined 98 billion rupees ($1.05 billion) loss in fiscal 2024-2025, and steeper losses projected this year. Operations face scrutiny following the June 12, 2025, crash of Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 that killed 260 people shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad—the first fatal 787 hull loss and the decade’s deadliest aviation disaster. Additional pressures include Pakistan’s airspace closure forcing long-haul reroutings and Middle East instability.
Wilson’s background includes founding and leading Scoot, Singapore Airlines’ low-cost unit, in two stints, plus a role as senior vice president of sales and marketing. The resignation follows IndiGo’s appointment of former IATA head Willie Walsh as its next CEO, reflecting leadership shifts across India’s airlines.