Tata Hunts for New Boss as Air India CEO Campbell Wilson’s Exit Looms

Tata Sons, the owner of Air India, has begun discussions with senior executives from global airlines as it reviews the leadership of its airline business, a move that could eventually see Air India CEO Campbell Wilson exit the role, according to The Economic Times.

Tata Group as well as Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran has reportedly spoken to chief executives of at least two leading international airlines based in the UK and the US as potential successors to Wilson. Although Wilson’s term officially runs until 2027, the group’s top leadership is reportedly said to be unhappy with the pace of improvement at Air India.

Officials cited by ET said there is growing impatience within the group over how quickly changes promised under Air India’s turnaround plan are being delivered on the ground.

Similar leadership changes are expected at Air India Express, the group’s low-cost airline. Its current CEO, Aloke Singh, also has a term that ends in 2027, the report added.

Campbell Wilson, a New Zealander, took charge of Air India in July 2022 after Tata Sons took back control of the airline from the government. He had announced a five-year plan to transform Air India into a global airline while improving its finances. However, his performance has delivered mixed results so far.

On the positive side, the merger of Vistara into Air India was completed smoothly under his leadership. The airline also expanded its fleet and, on some busy metro routes, even overtook market leader IndiGo.

However, progress has been slowed by global supply chain problems, which delayed the delivery of new aircraft and the refurbishment of older planes. This has affected service quality and punctuality, with repeated technical issues reported, especially in the wide-body aircraft used for long-haul flights to Europe and North America.

Air India has also faced intense scrutiny following the major plane crash last year that killed 260 people. While a preliminary investigation has not found fault with the aircraft or the airline’s engineering practices, the incident had wider repercussions.

After the crash, senior government officials reportedly chose to engage directly with Tata Group’s top leadership rather than with Wilson, a development that is understood to have weakened his position, according to ET.

Regulatory pressure has also increased. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued show-cause notices to several senior officials at Air India, including Wilson, over alleged violations and non-compliance. One such case involved the airline operating an aircraft with an expired licence.

Meanwhile, Air India’s financial recovery has been hit by Pakistan’s airspace closure, which forces the airline to take longer and more expensive routes on international flights.

As a result, Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express together reported a loss of ₹10,859 crore in FY25 on revenues of ₹78,636 crore. This made the airline business the biggest loss-making unit within the Tata Group during the year, according to the report.