Former Ethiopian Airlines Group chief Tewolde Gebremariam to pilot Air India as CEO
Air India on Wednesday, August 5, appointed former Ethiopian Airlines Group chief Tewolde Gebremariam as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, marking another change of guard at the airline after the takeover by the Tata Group four years ago.
An Ethiopian national, Gebremariam will replace New Zealander Campbell Wilson, who announced his resignation from the loss-making airline in April this year.
While announcing the appointment, Air India said Gebremariam is widely recognised as one of the most successful aviation chief executives. The executive transition marks a pivotal juncture in the airline's transformation journey to become a world-class, leading global airline, the airline said in a release.
Gebremariam, who will be the second foreign CEO at Air India, will be taking over the reins at a time when the airline is working on its ambitious expansion plans amid multiple external headwinds.
"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 three-fold," Air India said in a release.
According to the release, his unique strength lies in managing complex operational landscapes, driving cultural transformation, building competitive global hubs, and developing world-class MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) and aviation training infrastructure.
Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran said that having completed the initial phase of stabilisation, integration, and fleet commitments under Campbell's guidance, the airline is now entering a critical execution and expansion era.
"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.
"His operational expertise, commitment to safety, and vision for hub development will be instrumental as we establish Air India as a premier global carrier and a source of national pride," he said.
Gebremariam said 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.
He comes with nearly four-decade-long experience at Ethiopian Airlines Group, including as its CEO for over 11 years. Currently, he is serving as a Senior Strategic Advisor to Delta Airlines as well as the IFC/ World Bank Group.
Meanwhile, last month, some media reports had said that Gebremariam was selected to head Pakistan International Airlines.
In the release, Air India mentioned that as the airline shifts from its foundational turnaround phase into a high-growth and profitable execution phase, Gebremariam brings crucial capabilities required for the airline's next leg of journey..
"He has strong experience in expanding international long-haul networks and building world-class hub operations, an unrelenting commitment to safety standards, engineering quality, and operational reliability.
"He also has a track record of driving sustained profitability while navigating complex economic cycles and dynamic global markets together with a deep experience in workforce upskilling, talent development, and embedding a high-performance, customer-first service culture," it said.
The airline's board conducted a comprehensive search to identify the next leader for Air India, overseen by a dedicated Board committee. The committee rigorously evaluated internal as well as highly accomplished external candidates from across the world, according to the release.
Under Gebremariam's leadership, Air India said it would work closely with civil aviation authorities and regulators to strengthen India's position as a premier global aviation hub, enhance international connectivity, and maintain the highest benchmarks of aviation safety and compliance.
Wilson, a Singapore Airlines Group veteran, took charge as the CEO of Air India in July 2022.
Tata Group took over Air India from the government in January 2022, and later Singapore Airlines acquired a 25.1 per cent stake in the airline.
The country's two top airlines -- Air India and IndiGo -- now have foreign CEOs. On August 3, Irish national and former chief of global airlines' grouping IATA, Willie Walsh, took over as IndiGo CEO.
