Air India names Tewolde Gebremariam CEO as Campbell Wilson exits

Campbell Wilson has handed over Air India’s CEO and managing director role to Tewolde Gebremariam, as the carrier faces scrutiny over an alleged Delhi immigration-clearance lapse. Chairman N Chandrasekaran reiterated priorities around safety, customer trust, operational execution and financial sustainability.

— Source publishedTue, 15 Sept, 2026, 19:02 IST·First seen Tue, 15 Sept, 2026, 19:15 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

Campbell Wilson handed over Air India’s CEO and managing director role to Tewolde Gebremariam. The transition coincides with government scrutiny over an alleged

Key facts

  • 3 foreign nationals
  • September 7

Why this matters

Air India’s CEO transition makes disciplined safety, compliance and service execution the immediate operating test as the carrier manages regulatory scrutiny alongside transformation.

What to watch

  • DGCA, immigration or other regulator findings, penalties, mandated corrective actions or audit outcomes.
  • Whether additional clearance, boarding, baggage or passenger-document incidents emerge at other stations.
  • Changes in on-time performance, cancellation rates, mishandled-baggage complaints and net promoter/customer-satisfaction indicators.
  • Executive departures or appointments across operations, safety, legal, digital and customer experience functions.
  • Capacity reductions, route suspensions or delayed aircraft/network rollout plans.