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NEW DELHI – Air India (AI) CEO Campbell Wilson has resigned. Indian newspaper Mint said that the move takes place as the airline continues to deal with persistent losses and heightened regulatory scrutiny following a crash last year that killed 260 people.
Regulators have cited the airline for safety lapses, including flying an aircraft eight times without an airworthiness certificate and operating planes without checking emergency equipment.
The newspaper report said that Wilson is currently serving his notice period and couldn't determine if Tata Group, its majority owner, has found his successor. The Hindustan Times wrote that Wilson's resignation was tendered at a board meeting last week. He remains with the company until a successor is found.
Air India had not confirmed this publicly at the time these report came out.
Campbell's stint at Air India
Campbell Wilson’s time at AI was marked by an ambitious turnaround that was not fully completed.
After Tata regained control in 2022, he took charge of the Vihaan.ai transformation plan, managed AI’s major 470-aircraft order in 2023, led a major brand and cabin update, and played a key role in the 2024 merger with Vistara (UK), which formed a larger and more unified Air India group.
However, Wilson also faced the tough challenge of rebuilding a large, established airline. AI struggled with delays in aircraft deliveries, slow refurbishment, inconsistent operations, ongoing financial strain, and more recently, increased regulatory attention on safety and compliance.
Shuffles in the making
Air India is chaired by N. Chandrasekaran, who is also the chair of Tata Group. Singapore Airlines (SQ) holds a 25% stake in the carrier. We've known since at least January that AI's board was searching for a new CEO to replace Wilson, a former SQ veteran brought in to drive the airline's turnaround in 2022 after years of decline under government ownership.
Reuters reports that in December, AI admitted there was a "need for urgent improvements in process discipline, communication, and compliance culture."
The airline has lost money since being bought by Tata in 2022. The financial pressure was exacerbated when Pakistan banned Indian carriers from its airspace last year.
Observers say a prolonged Iran war will add further pressure on the airline's lucrative western routes, already scaled back due to Pakistan's restrictions.
This is the second recent CEO movement in India. Pieter Elbers resigned as CEO of IndiGo (6E) on March 10, 2026. On March 31, 2026, 6E announced the appointed Willie Walsh, currently the Director General of IATA, as its next CEO.
Featured image: Nuno Seletti/Airways
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