Air India’s board may be looking for a new chief executive (CEO) to replace Campbell Wilson, its current CEO, as the airline remains under investigation over safety lapses after the deadly crash in June that killed 260 people.
Leadership reset and succession planning
Campbell Wilson, a New Zealander, became the chief executive officer and managing director of Air India in July 2022, after a 26-year career at Singapore Airlines, where he held senior roles across the full-service carrier and its low-cost subsidiary, Scoot.
Although Campbell Wilson’s term as CEO of Air India is due to run until mid-2027, he could be replaced earlier than expected as part of a broader leadership reset.
After the world’s most deadly aviation disaster in a decade, Air India’s Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad, the regulators identified multiple shortcomings at Air India. The issues included aircraft operating without completing emergency equipment checks, delays in replacing engine components, alleged forgery of maintenance records and weaknesses in managing crew fatigue.
The airline is chaired by N. Chandrasekaran, who also serves as the chairman of Tata Group. Tata Group is the airline’s majority owner, and Singapore Airlines holds a 25% stake in Air India.
Some sources claim that Tata Group was dissatisfied with Wilson’s performance last year, despite having given him significant autonomy and financial backing to overhaul the airline after its acquisition from the Indian government.
N. Chandrasekaran has held multiple performance reviews with Wilson in recent months. A source close to Wilson said he is involved in the succession planning and has informed the board that he does not expect to continue beyond 2027.
Chandrasekaran is also said to have held discussions with top executives of at least two leading international airlines, based in the United Kingdom and the United States of America as potential successors.
Safety scrutiny and operational pressures
Air India’s low-cost carrier, Air India Express, could face a similar leadership reset as CEO Aloke Singh’s term is also due to end in 2027, and successors are being considered.
Formerly India’s state-run carrier, Air India was privatised and sold to Tata Group in 2022 as part of efforts to revive the loss-making airline. Since then, Tata Group has invested heavily in fleet modernisation and route expansion, including the merger with Vistara. However, the turnaround has been hampered by aircraft delivery delays, refurbishment setbacks, and ongoing operational and safety challenges.
Tata Group, Air India and Campbell Wilson have not issued official statements regarding the potential leadership transition.
What are your thoughts on who should be the next CEO of Air India? Let us know in the comments.
