Air India appoints former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam as CEO

Air India announced the appointment of Tewolde Gebremariam as its chief executive officer and managing director, filling the vacancy left by Campbell Wilson’s resignation. Wilson, who had been with the airline since July 2022, departed after the board accepted his resignation, remaining on board during his notice period. Gebremariam, a prominent Ethiopian aviation executive, served as Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group from 2011 until 2022, overseeing a fleet increase from 33 to 130 aircraft and passenger growth from about 3 million to 12 million pre-COVID, with revenue rising from roughly $1 billion to $4.5 billion.

He guided Ethiopian Airlines through the pandemic by expanding cargo operations and maintaining profitability, and stepped down in March 2022 citing health issues. His hiring is intended to accelerate Air India’s turnaround under Tata Group ownership.