Tewolde Gebremariam has taken operational charge as Air India’s incoming chief executive and managing director, with the carrier’s leadership reset centring on safety, reliability, trust and profitability. The former Ethiopian Airlines chief begins work as the Tata Group-owned airline pushes ahead with a broad operational turnaround from Mumbai, where chairman N. Chandrasekaran led an employee town hall.
The move replaces Campbell Wilson and comes as Air India continues its transformation after the ownership change. Gebremariam is expected to sharpen execution across engineering, maintenance and day-to-day operations as the airline seeks stronger reliability and cost discipline during fleet expansion. His record at Ethiopian Airlines, where he built the carrier into Africa’s largest and most profitable airline, is being treated as relevant experience for the task.
Some reports indicate the formal appointment still awaits security clearance, but the operational handover has already begun. The leadership change arrives as Air India faces pressure to improve on-time performance, maintenance capability and passenger confidence while balancing growth with tighter operational control.