Tewolde Gebremariam took charge as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air India on Monday, succeeding the former leader Campbell Wilson. The Tata Group-owned carrier welcomed the new leader in an employee town hall led by Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran.
"One team. One vision. One journey ahead. Led by Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, employees came together at a town hall to welcome Air India's new CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, alongside outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson, marking the next chapter in Air India's transformation journey," the airline said.
Gebremariam brings extensive experience in building operational and engineering capabilities from his tenure at Ethiopian Airlines, and is expected to strengthen the airline's technical organisation and maintenance systems as it prepares to operate a significantly larger fleet. He comes with nearly 40 years of experience at Ethiopian Airlines Group, including as its CEO for over 11 years. Gebremariam will assume the role of CEO and MD after receiving necessary approvals.
The leadership change comes at a time when the airline is under pressure to improve safety and operational reliability and stem massive financial losses.
Chandrasekaran and former Air India chairman and managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola, who have been guiding Gebremariam since he joined the Tata airline early last month, will continue to work closely with him in the initial few months, officials close to the matter told ET's Kala Vijayraghavan & Arindam Majumder.
The airline posted a loss of over Rs 26,000 crore for FY26 and is now seeking Rs 10,000 crore in fresh equity infusion from its owners, Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines.
Key responsibilities for Air India’s new CEO Tewolde Gebremariam
- Strengthen engineering and maintenance capabilities: Build a stronger technical organisation and overhaul maintenance systems to support Air India’s rapidly expanding fleet.
- Improve operational execution: Rejig teams and restructure functions where necessary to sharpen accountability, improve execution and enhance operational efficiency.
- Build a new leadership team: Strengthen the leadership pipeline and potentially bring in fresh talent as part of efforts to create a more effective management structure.
- Drive financial discipline: Keep a close watch on cash, costs and profitability while balancing growth and fleet expansion.
- Create a high-performance culture: Introduce greater accountability across functions and build a culture focused on performance and execution.
- Focus on safety and operational excellence: Set higher benchmarks for safety, reliability and overall operational performance.
- Improve customer experience: Ensure operational and organisational changes translate into a better experience for passengers.
Incoming CEO and MD Gebremariam sought staff support and cooperation and called for minimising disruptions.
In his first address to the employees on Monday, Gebremariam said the airline has a powerful heritage, a strong brand and enormous potential. "If we do the right things at the right time, the sky is the limit," he said, as quoted by PTI.
Addressing the employees, he said that he is coming from the US and that "we will Make Air India Great Again (MAGA)".
Recalling his earlier stint in Mumbai in the 1990s, Gebremariam said at that time, Air India was at the top of the industry and now, he will have the opportunity to again make it a strong brand.
He stressed that safety-first culture has to be the number one priority, emphasising the need to minimise disruptions.
When disruptions do occur, handle them professionally and take care of the customers, he said. "I need your support and cooperation. We cannot bring about meaningful change without the commitment of our people," he told the staff.
