Air India CEO Campbell Wilson resigns; airline looks for successor

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson resigns; airline looks for successor

Campbell Wilson has resigned as Air India CEO and is expected to stay till the company appoints his successor.

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Air India CEO Campbell Wilson quits before his term endsAir India CEO Campbell Wilson quits before his term ends
Richa Sharma
  • Apr 7, 2026,
  • Updated Apr 7, 2026 7:50 AM IST

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has resigned and will stay till his successor is appointed, according to reports. His term was to end in July 2027.

His resignation was accepted at a board meeting last week and will remain at the helm of affairs till his successor is appointed, according to reports. Tata Group has been hunting for a CEO for the past few months, and his successor is to be announced soon, said sources.    

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There have been talks around his resignation since the Air India crash in June 2025 and repeated episodes involving Air India aircraft breaching safety norms. The airline has been facing huge losses and operational challenges.  

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His exit comes close to the appointment of IndiGo CEO Willie Walsh after the resignation of Pieter Elbers. Before joining Air India, Wilson served as CEO of Scoot, the wholly-owned low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA).

Wilson, who joined Air India in 2022, was to steer the legacy airline to a world-class carrier under Tata’s five-year Vihaan.AI transformation plan. The airline ordered newer aircraft, focused on retrofitting old aircraft, upgrading the existing fleet, while trying to stay profitable.

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DON'T MISS | IndiGo's new CEO Willie Walsh’s troubles with Indian aviation policy

Airlines are facing several challenges due to airspace closure, making it burn more cash for operations. It is forced to take longer routes for its long-haul operations due to the Middle East conflict and restriction to fly over Pakistan. The highest ATF prices in the international sector have also impacted the profitability on the long haul, besides stretching resources.

Reports say that Air India is expected to post Rs 20,000 crore losses in FY26.   

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has resigned and will stay till his successor is appointed, according to reports. His term was to end in July 2027.

His resignation was accepted at a board meeting last week and will remain at the helm of affairs till his successor is appointed, according to reports. Tata Group has been hunting for a CEO for the past few months, and his successor is to be announced soon, said sources.    

Advertisement

Related Articles

There have been talks around his resignation since the Air India crash in June 2025 and repeated episodes involving Air India aircraft breaching safety norms. The airline has been facing huge losses and operational challenges.  

DON'T MISS | IndiGo appoints former British Airways chief William Walsh as CEO

His exit comes close to the appointment of IndiGo CEO Willie Walsh after the resignation of Pieter Elbers. Before joining Air India, Wilson served as CEO of Scoot, the wholly-owned low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA).

Wilson, who joined Air India in 2022, was to steer the legacy airline to a world-class carrier under Tata’s five-year Vihaan.AI transformation plan. The airline ordered newer aircraft, focused on retrofitting old aircraft, upgrading the existing fleet, while trying to stay profitable.

Advertisement

DON'T MISS | IndiGo's new CEO Willie Walsh’s troubles with Indian aviation policy

Airlines are facing several challenges due to airspace closure, making it burn more cash for operations. It is forced to take longer routes for its long-haul operations due to the Middle East conflict and restriction to fly over Pakistan. The highest ATF prices in the international sector have also impacted the profitability on the long haul, besides stretching resources.

Reports say that Air India is expected to post Rs 20,000 crore losses in FY26.   

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Richa Sharma

A journalist with over two decades of reporting experience in infrastructure, environment, policy, and politics. My media journey took me to various newsrooms — wire services, newspapers, and digital platforms — covering the intersection of different sectors in India's sustainable growth story. Covering India's infrastructure boom as it walks towards becoming a developed economy by 2047, with Highways, Aviation, Railways and Power sector being key building blocks in this growth story. Closely tracking the net-zero journey of India Inc. from regulatory, energy transition, circularity, and ESG perspectives. For feedback and ideas, connect on X at @richajourno.

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