Tewolde Gebremariam Takes Charge At Air India: What’s On His To-Do List?

Tewolde Gebremariam has taken charge as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air India, succeeding Campbell Wilson, as the Tata Group-owned airline looks to strengthen its operations and improve financial performance.

Gebremariam was formally welcomed at an employee town hall led by Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran. The airline said the event marked “the next chapter in Air India’s transformation journey” as the carrier begins a new phase under its new CEO.

Gebremariam, who joined Air India early last month, brings experience in building operational and engineering capabilities from his time at Ethiopian Airlines. According to officials cited by The Economic Times, Chandrasekaran and former Air India chairman and managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola will continue to work closely with him during his initial months.

Strengthening Safety And Maintenance

One of Gebremariam’s key priorities will be to strengthen Air India’s engineering and maintenance capabilities. He is expected to build a stronger technical organisation and overhaul maintenance systems as the airline prepares to operate a much larger fleet.

Improving operational execution will also be high on his agenda. The new CEO may rejig teams and restructure functions to improve accountability, speed up decision-making and make operations more efficient.

Safety and reliability are another major focus. The leadership change comes as Air India faces pressure to improve operational performance and strengthen safety standards across the airline.A

Fixing Costs And Building A New Team

Gebremariam will also have to focus on financial discipline, with greater attention on cash, costs and profitability while balancing the airline’s expansion plans.

Building a stronger leadership pipeline is another priority. The airline could bring in fresh talent and make organisational changes to create a more effective management structure.

The new CEO is also expected to push for a high-performance culture, with greater accountability across functions. Improving the passenger experience will be another key task, with Air India aiming to ensure that operational changes ultimately translate into better service.

The leadership transition comes at a challenging time for the airline. Air India reported a loss of more than ₹26,000 crore in FY26 and is seeking a fresh ₹10,000 crore equity infusion from its owners, Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines.