NEW DELHI, April 7 (Reuters) – Air India said on Tuesday that CEO Campbell Wilson had resigned after nearly four years in the role, as the carrier grapples with persistent losses and heightened regulatory scrutiny following a crash last year that killed 260 people.
Wilson’s resignation comes just days after its bigger domestic rival, IndiGo, tapped aviation veteran Willie Walsh as its next CEO.
The country’s two largest carriers are under pressure from an industry crisis stemming from the Middle East conflict, compounded by domestic operational challenges.
Reuters reported in January that Air India’s board was scouting for a new CEO to replace Wilson, a former Singapore Airlines executive brought in to steer the Indian carrier’s turnaround in 2022 after years of decline under government ownership.
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Wilson had conveyed to Air India chairman N. Chandrasekaran in 2024 his intention to step down this year, the airline said in a statement, adding that the New Zealander will remain in the role until his successor is in place.
Air India’s board has constituted a committee that will find Wilson’s successor in the coming months, the statement said. His tenure was due to end in 2027.
“It is also worth acknowledging the numerous external challenges navigated by the Air India team, including prolonged post-COVID supply chain constraints that have impacted delivery of new aircraft and retrofit programs as well as major geopolitical and other headwinds,” said Chandrasekaran, who is also chairman of the carrier’s majority stakeholder, the Tata Group.
Singapore Airlines is another major shareholder, owning about 25%.
‘TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES’
Since taking the helm at India’s No. 2 carrier, Wilson oversaw an overhaul of the engineering department and the refurbishment of planes amid supply chain disruptions.
“Over the last four years, Campbell did a good job in very tough circumstances,” said Brendan Sobie, a Singapore-based independent aviation analyst.
“Finding the right candidate to complete (Air India’s) transformation will not be easy and Tata will particularly feel the pressure to get this right following IndiGo’s recent appointment of Willie Walsh,” he said.
Air India has been reprimanded by regulators for safety lapses over the past year, including flying an aircraft eight times without an airworthiness certificate and running planes without checking emergency equipment.
In December, Air India admitted there was a “need for urgent improvements in process discipline, communication, and compliance culture,” Reuters reported.
Air India has a fleet of 191 planes and has placed orders for more than 500 aircraft.
It has lost money since being bought by Tata Group in 2022, with the financial pressure worsening since Pakistan banned Indian carriers from its airspace last year.
Air India and its low-cost carrier Air India Express reported a combined loss of 98.08 billion rupees ($1.05 billion) in the 2024-2025 financial year.
($1 = 93.0600 Indian rupees)