Mumbai/IBNS-CMEDIA: Air India is exploring the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to replace incumbent Campbell Wilson, even as his current tenure runs until June 2027, media reports said.
Tata Sons, the airline’s parent company, is reportedly scouting senior aviation leaders globally as part of a broader effort to accelerate a comprehensive revamp of the national carrier.
According to The Times of India, citing The Economic Times, Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran has held discussions with chief executives of at least two major international airlines based in the UK and the US regarding the role.
Reuters reported that Tata Sons is dissatisfied with Air India’s performance last year, prompting the leadership search.
Regulators have also flagged a series of concerns at the airline in the aftermath of a deadly plane crash in Ahmedabad.
These include operating aircraft without completing emergency equipment checks, delays in replacing engine components, alleged falsification of maintenance records, and gaps in monitoring crew fatigue, The Times of India reported.
Campbell Wilson, a New Zealand-born aviation executive with over two decades of industry experience, took charge as Air India’s CEO and Managing Director in June 2022 following the Tata Group’s takeover of the airline.
Prior to this, he spent several years at Singapore Airlines, where he last served as CEO of its low-cost subsidiary Scoot.
An economics and commerce graduate from the University of Otago, Wilson has been spearheading Air India’s multi-year transformation, overseeing fleet modernisation, record aircraft acquisitions, network expansion and the integration of Vistara and AIX Connect, as the Tata-owned carrier seeks to reposition itself as a competitive global airline.
