Air India has appointed Tewolde Gebremariam as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, bringing the former Ethiopian Airlines Group chief on board to lead the airline through the next stage of its transformation.
Gebremariam succeeds Campbell Wilson, who resigned earlier this year. Wilson’s notice period ends on September 30, 2026. Air India has not yet announced the exact date on which Gebremariam will formally take charge.
The Air India Board announced the appointment on August 5 after a global search involving internal and external candidates. The airline said it was looking for a leader with experience in airline turnarounds, operations, safety, service and profitable growth.
The appointment comes at a critical point for Air India, which is dealing with financial losses, regulatory scrutiny, fleet upgrades and disruptions to international operations.
Why Air India chose Tewolde Gebremariam
Gebremariam is best known for his tenure as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, where he led the carrier for more than a decade.
Under his leadership, Ethiopian Airlines’ annual revenue increased from around $1 billion to $4.5 billion, while its fleet expanded from 33 aircraft to about 130. Passenger numbers also increased from about 3 million to 12 million before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Air India said revenue at Ethiopian Airlines grew more than fourfold during his tenure and its fleet nearly tripled.
Gebremariam also oversaw investment in aviation infrastructure around Ethiopian Airlines’ Addis Ababa hub, including cargo, maintenance, training and other airline support operations.
Who is Tewolde Gebremariam? From transportation agent to airline group CEO
Gebremariam’s career at Ethiopian Airlines began long before he entered the executive office.
According to Ethiopian Airlines’ annual report, he joined the carrier in 1985 as a Transportation Agent.
He later worked across several parts of the airline, including cargo, area offices, sales and marketing, before becoming Group CEO in January 2011.
That operating background matters at Air India because his career was not built around only one part of the airline business.
He worked across commercial and operational functions before taking overall responsibility for Ethiopian Airlines Group.
Gebremariam remained Group CEO until March 2022, when he took early retirement.
During his leadership, Ethiopian Airlines said the group grew roughly fourfold across major measures while investing more than $700 million in infrastructure, including a cargo terminal, MRO facilities, an aviation academy, flight simulators and a hotel.
Air India has said Ethiopian Airlines’ revenue increased more than fourfold and its fleet nearly tripled during his tenure.
Those numbers explain part of his appeal. The structure behind that growth may be even more relevant to Air India today.
The Air India-Ethiopian Airlines connection goes beyond the CEO appointment
One less discussed part of the appointment is that Gebremariam is not entering the Indian aviation market for the first time.
Ethiopian Airlines had a long relationship with India during his leadership, including a codeshare partnership with Air India.
In January 2015, Ethiopian Airlines and Air India expanded their codeshare arrangement to connect Indian domestic destinations with Ethiopian’s network across Africa through Addis Ababa.
At the time, Gebremariam said the partnership was intended to improve connectivity between India and Africa.
The same year, Ethiopian doubled its Mumbai services and said it planned further expansion in the India market.
In 2019, Ethiopian added Bengaluru to its passenger network, alongside its Mumbai and New Delhi operations.
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Air India has already started changing how passengers connect through Delhi
The airline is also working on practical changes to support hub-and-spoke operations.
Its Easy Connect programme allows eligible passengers originating from certain Indian cities to complete international check-in and immigration at their origin airport before connecting through Delhi.
That can reduce the processing required during the connection at the hub.
Air India welcomed the government’s hub-and-spoke framework in April 2026 and said it was preparing to use the model for international connectivity from Varanasi.
Bengaluru is becoming part of Air India’s maintenance ecosystem
Air India is developing a large MRO facility at Bengaluru airport.
The project is intended to support both narrowbody and widebody aircraft while reducing dependence on overseas maintenance.
The airline is also developing an aircraft maintenance training organisation near the facility to create its own pipeline of engineers.
There is another recent development Gebremariam will inherit.
In July 2026, Air India signed an agreement with SIA Engineering Company to explore further MRO collaboration and contribute to developing India as an aviation maintenance hub.
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What challenges will Tewolde Gebremariam face at Air India?
1. Air India’s financial losses
Air India Group recorded losses of more than $2 billion in financial year 2025-26, compared with about $1.13 billion a year earlier, according to Reuters citing shareholder Singapore Airlines.
The airline has not reported a profit since returning to private ownership in 2022.
Air India is controlled by Tata Group, which owns about 75 per cent, while Singapore Airlines owns around 25 per cent.
2. Safety and regulatory scrutiny
Air India continues to face regulatory scrutiny following the June 2025 crash of an Air India Boeing 787 in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people.
Reuters has also reported separate safety and compliance lapses involving the airline, adding to the focus on internal processes, regulatory compliance and operating discipline.
Gebremariam’s experience handling airline safety crises is one of the reasons his appointment is significant at this stage.
Air India’s own announcement highlighted safety, engineering standards and operational reliability among the areas where his experience was considered relevant.
3. Fleet modernisation
Air India is in the middle of a large fleet renewal programme.
The airline has more than 500 aircraft on order and is also working to upgrade cabins on existing aircraft.
Some cabin refurbishment work has been affected by shortages of seats, components and other supplies.
Reuters reported in June that Air India was also looking at delaying deliveries of a number of Airbus and Boeing aircraft as it sought to manage costs.
Gebremariam will therefore have to balance fleet expansion with financial requirements and operational needs.
4. Pakistan airspace restrictions and international routes
Air India’s international operations have also been affected by geopolitical developments.
Pakistan’s restrictions on Indian airlines using its airspace, along with disruption in the Middle East, have resulted in longer routes, higher fuel consumption and changes to some international services.
Air India announced in May that it was reducing or suspending services on several international routes through August because of airspace restrictions and high jet fuel costs.
The airline said it would still operate more than 1,200 international flights every month during the adjusted schedule.
5. Competition from IndiGo and international airlines
Gebremariam also takes over in a market where IndiGo has the largest share of domestic passenger traffic.
At the same time, Air India competes with international airlines for passengers travelling between India and markets in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Air India’s international strategy will therefore depend not only on adding aircraft but also on network planning, aircraft utilisation, pricing, service and the development of hub operations.
What Tewolde Gebremariam said about joining Air India
Gebremariam said he plans to work with Air India’s Board, employees, government authorities and industry partners as the airline continues its transformation.
His stated priorities include operational reliability, passenger service and long-term growth.
The appointment makes him responsible for one of the largest airline restructuring programmes underway globally.
