Former Ethiopian Airlines boss Tewolde Gebremariam has been named as the new CEO of Air India, following a comprehensive search to identify the next leader.
On August 5, 2025, Air India announced that Gebremariam’s “track record” leading Ethiopian Airlines made him “uniquely suited” to for the position.
“Tewolde Gebremariam is widely recognized as one of the most successful aviation chief executives,” Air India said. “During his decade-plus tenure as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, he spearheaded a multi-billion-dollar expansion, transforming a regional carrier into Africa’s largest, most profitable, and decorated airline group—growing revenue by more than fourfold and fleet size nearly threefold.”
Air India said its objective was to find a leader with a “proven record of managing mega-scale airline turnarounds”.
The airline praised Gebremariam’s ability to manage “complex operational landscapes, driving cultural transformation, building competitive global hubs, and developing world-class MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) and aviation training infrastructure”.
Gebremariam served as the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines from January 2011 to March 2022 and was succeeded by Mesfin Tasew.
“Having completed the initial phase of stabilization, integration, and fleet commitments under Campbell’s guidance, Air India is now entering a critical execution and expansion era,” N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, said. “Tewolde’s track record in building one of the world’s most efficient and profitable airline groups makes him uniquely suited to lead Air India.”
Campbell Wilson announced his resignation on April 7, 2026, ending a nearly four-year tenure leading the Tata Group-owned carrier through a sweeping post-privatization transformation.
Gebremariam said it was a “profound honor to be entrusted with leading Air India at such a historic moment in its journey”.
“Air India carries an incredible legacy, and the opportunity to build a world-class global airline that reflects India’s extraordinary economic potential is uniquely exciting,” added Gebremariam