Air India taps ex-Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam for turnaround

Tata-owned Air India has selected former Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam to lead its safety, fleet-modernisation and profitability reset, inheriting more than $2 billion in annual losses and operational pressure from Pakistan airspace restrictions.

— Filed Thu, 6 Aug, 2026, 15:48 IST · Source ET Small Business · Updated

Tata-owned Air India has chosen former Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam to lead its safety, fleet-modernisation and profitability turnaround amid regulatory scrutiny, over $2 billion in annual losses, and route-cost pressures from Pakistan airspace restrictions.

Why this matters

The appointment follows recent signals that Air India named Gebremariam CEO amid safety scrutiny and expansion, reinforcing Tata’s leadership focus as the airline pursues an operational reset.

Leadership signals are accelerating, up 35,133% QoQ.