Air India's incoming chief executive officer and managing director, Tewolde Gebremariam, has received the required security clearance and will formally take charge of the Tata Group-owned airline on October 1, according to sources cited by multiple media outlets.
An Air India spokesperson confirmed the development when contacted, news agency PTI reported.
Gebremariam, an Ethiopian national, was appointed by Air India's board of directors on August 5 following a global search for a new chief executive. He becomes the second foreign national to head the loss-making carrier, succeeding New Zealander Campbell Wilson, who announced his decision to step down in April 2026.
The leadership transition comes as the Tata Group-promoted airline moves from its turnaround phase to an ambitious growth and expansion strategy, amid external headwinds facing the aviation sector.
Gebremariam brings more than three decades of experience from Ethiopian Airlines, including 11 years as its group chief executive, and was until recently a senior strategic adviser to Delta Air Lines.
Even before taking official charge, he has outlined safety, operational reliability and sustainable profitability as his key priorities. In a town hall address to employees on September 28, he said cost discipline must become part of Air India's culture.
"Everything we do must be safe. Safety is a shared responsibility, and every Air Indian has a role to play," he said, according to the Hindu BusinessLine. He added that customers should remember Air India for its reliability — flights departing and arriving on time, baggage travelling with them, and transparent communication when disruptions occur.
He also plans to introduce programmes rewarding employees for ideas that deliver measurable cost savings and improve operational efficiency.
Sources:
thehindubusinessline.com
economictimes.indiatimes.com
ndtvprofit.com
An Air India spokesperson confirmed the development when contacted, news agency PTI reported.
Gebremariam, an Ethiopian national, was appointed by Air India's board of directors on August 5 following a global search for a new chief executive. He becomes the second foreign national to head the loss-making carrier, succeeding New Zealander Campbell Wilson, who announced his decision to step down in April 2026.
The leadership transition comes as the Tata Group-promoted airline moves from its turnaround phase to an ambitious growth and expansion strategy, amid external headwinds facing the aviation sector.
Gebremariam brings more than three decades of experience from Ethiopian Airlines, including 11 years as its group chief executive, and was until recently a senior strategic adviser to Delta Air Lines.
Even before taking official charge, he has outlined safety, operational reliability and sustainable profitability as his key priorities. In a town hall address to employees on September 28, he said cost discipline must become part of Air India's culture.
"Everything we do must be safe. Safety is a shared responsibility, and every Air Indian has a role to play," he said, according to the Hindu BusinessLine. He added that customers should remember Air India for its reliability — flights departing and arriving on time, baggage travelling with them, and transparent communication when disruptions occur.
He also plans to introduce programmes rewarding employees for ideas that deliver measurable cost savings and improve operational efficiency.
Sources:
thehindubusinessline.com
economictimes.indiatimes.com
ndtvprofit.com
