Air India's Board of Directors has appointed Tewolde Gebremariam, the former long-serving chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines Group, as the carrier's new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, the airline announced Wednesday, replacing outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson.

The appointment, disclosed in a press release, follows what the company described as a comprehensive global search overseen by a dedicated board committee that evaluated both internal and external candidates.

Gebremariam led Ethiopian Airlines Group for more than a decade, during which he is credited with turning it into Africa's largest and most profitable airline group. According to the airline, revenue more than quadrupled and the fleet size nearly tripled under his leadership. He is also noted for his role in developing maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) infrastructure and aviation training facilities.

N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, welcomed the appointment, saying the airline was entering "a critical execution and expansion era" after completing an initial phase of stabilization and fleet renewal under Wilson. He said Gebremariam's experience building "one of the world's most efficient and profitable airline groups" made him well suited to lead Air India's next phase, citing his operational expertise, safety record, and hub-development vision.

Gebremariam, in a statement, called the appointment "a profound honour" and said he looked forward to working with Chandrasekaran, the board, employees, and government and industry partners to strengthen operational reliability and long-term growth at the airline.

The board also thanked Wilson for his tenure, crediting him with overseeing the airline's merger and integration process, launching fleet modernization programs and establishing new corporate governance standards following Air India's privatization.

Air India, part of the Tata Group, said the leadership change aligns with India's civil aviation ambitions and that the new CEO would work with regulators to strengthen the country's position as a global aviation hub. The company said it would announce further details on the transition timeline later.

Source: PR