Air India Board clears all decks as new chief Tewolde Gebremariam enters the cockpit

Mumbai: Air India's board on Tuesday discussed the airline's operational priorities under incoming chief executive officer and managing director Tewolde Gebremariam, while approving his remuneration package.

The meeting also covered outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson's full-and-final settlement and the carrier's operational position and priorities for its new leadership, people familiar with the matter said. The board, chaired by Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran, met at Bombay House in Mumbai. The agenda included an operational handover from Wilson and Gebremariam's priorities, the people said.

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Where Things Stand

"Campbell walked the board through the operational position of the airline, including the areas where the business has made progress and the issues that still require management attention," said a person familiar with the meeting. "It was essentially a handover of where things stand today." Wilson briefed the board on Air India's operations, the work completed during his tenure and the challenges it is continuing to face. The discussion was intended to give Gebremariam a detailed view of the airline before he formally takes over.

Chandrasekaran also set out his expectations for the incoming chief and the priorities for the next phase of Air India's transformation.

"The message from Chandrasekaran was that Tewolde now needs to take that work forward, with a sharp focus on operational reliability, safety and execution," the person said. "The expectation is that the next phase will be about delivering consistently on the platform that has been built." After the meeting, Wilson told reporters, "As Air India rises, I wish Tewolde and the Air India team all the best."

People said the board also appreciated Wilson's contribution in the transformational journey of Air India.

Wilson took charge following the erstwhile state-run airline's acquisition by the Tata Group in 2022, subsequently overseeing a period of fleet and network expansion and the integration of Vistara into Air India. His tenure also included the airline's response to the June 2025 crash of flight AI171 in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.

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Turnaround Stage

Gebremariam takes charge at a time when Air India is entering a more demanding stage of its turnaround. The former Ethiopian Airlines CEO has been speaking to employees ahead of his appointment, with safety and operational consistency emerging as early priorities.

"Safety-first culture has to be our number one priority," Gebremariam said in an internal address to employees earlier this month, according to people familiar with his remarks.

The incoming CEO will also be tasked with improving Air India's operational performance while continuing the integration of the Tata Group's aviation businesses. Wilson had led the initial phase of the Tata Group's effort to rebuild Air India as a global full-service carrier.

The transition at Air India comes ahead of a Tata Sons board meeting scheduled for Thursday. The meeting is expected to take up issues including the holding company's regulatory status following the Reserve Bank of India's decision and matters relating to the future leadership of Tata Sons.