Tewolde Gebremariam to take charge of Air India from Monday

MUMBAI: Air India’s cockpit is getting a new hand on the controls. Tewolde Gebremariam is set to take operational charge of Air India on Monday, replacing former chief executive Campbell Wilson as the airline works to improve safety, operational reliability and financial performance, according to media reports.

Gebremariam, the former chief of Ethiopian Airlines, will initially take charge without the formal designation of CEO and accountable manager because his security clearance is still pending, people familiar with the matter said.

The clearance is expected by the end of September. Meanwhile, Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran is expected to introduce Gebremariam to employees at a town hall on Monday, effectively marking the beginning of his operational leadership.

Air India has not commented on the development.

Chandrasekaran and former Air India chairman and managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola, who have been guiding Gebremariam since he joined the Tata-owned airline early last month, are expected to continue working closely with him during the initial months of the transition.

Gebremariam arrives at a particularly challenging moment for the airline. Air India is dealing with significant losses, fresh funding requirements and heightened scrutiny of its safety standards.

The airline reported a loss of more than Rs 26,000 crore for FY26 and has sought Rs 10,000 crore in fresh equity from its owners, Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines.

People close to the matter said Gebremariam would have considerable autonomy to make the changes needed to put the airline on a safer and more sustainable footing.

His immediate priorities are expected to include examining how the airline operates, identifying gaps and moving quickly to address them. He had already met departmental heads last month, where he highlighted the need for improvements in engineering, safety and yield.

Safety is likely to remain one of the most closely watched areas.

Air India has faced intense scrutiny since the fatal Ahmedabad crash in June last year, which killed more than 270 people. The airline also faced another safety incident on August 4, when around 20 passengers and four crew members were injured after a Phuket-Delhi flight suffered a sudden loss of altitude.

The airline dismissed the aircraft’s captain on Friday after a preliminary investigation found that he had tested “non-negative” for a psychoactive substance in a confirmatory test.

Beyond individual incidents, Gebremariam is expected to focus on strengthening consistency across operations, improving adherence to procedures and making flight operations more reliable.

Engineering and maintenance are expected to be another major priority as Air India prepares to operate a considerably larger fleet.

Gebremariam brings experience in building operational and engineering capabilities from his years at Ethiopian Airlines. His background is expected to help Air India strengthen its technical organisation, maintenance systems and operational processes as the airline expands.

The challenge now is to turn that experience into measurable improvements at Air India, while simultaneously dealing with financial pressure and heightened expectations around safety.

For Gebremariam, the transition therefore begins with little room for turbulence. His first task will be to steady the airline’s operations before steering its next phase of growth.