Air India Incoming CEO Tells Staff to Focus on Safety, Reliability and Profit
Air India's incoming CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told employees at his first company-wide townhall that after four years of getting bigger, the airline now needs to get better and more profitable. Gebremariam, former Ethiopian Airlines chief, is yet to formally assume the CEO and managing director role and is awaiting necessary regulatory approvals. Air India has spent the past four years rebuilding under Tata Group ownership, including a major aircraft order, fleet and product modernisation, technology upgrades, completing the Vistara merger and integrating other airlines.
Impact and considerations
The leadership transition and strategic shift toward safety, reliability and profitability could affect Air India's operational performance, route network and service quality relied upon by business travellers.
Key points
- Tewolde Gebremariam told Air India employees at his first company-wide townhall that the airline needs to get better and more profitable.
- Gebremariam, former Ethiopian Airlines chief, is yet to formally assume the CEO and managing director role and is awaiting regulatory approvals.
- Foreign nationals leading Indian airlines require such approval, as Campbell Wilson did when appointed in 2022.
- Air India has spent the past four years rebuilding under Tata Group ownership, including a major aircraft order, fleet and product modernisation, technology upgrades, completing the Vistara merger and integrating other airlines.
Sources and time
- Primary source
- Skift
- Other sources
- 0
- First source publication
- 29 Sept 2026, 13:30
- Page published
- 29 Sept 2026, 18:01
- Last updated
- 29 Sept 2026, 13:30
- Original links
- Skift Feed：Air India Has Bulked Up. Incoming CEO Tells Staff to Focus on Safety, Reliability — and Profit (opens in a new tab)Primary source · en · Published 29 Sept 2026, 13:30