Air India CEO steps down early as losses mount

Wilson, whose term was set to end in 2027, will remain CEO and MD until a successor is appointed. Air India: CEO Campbell Wilson steps down early as losses mount Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Wilson, a former Singapore Airlines executive, was brought in to lead a turnaround after Tata Group bought Air India from the Indian government in 2022 Campbell Wilson, wearing a black suit and a white shirt, speaks at a conference with a blue board behind him Air India CEO steps down early as losses mount Air India's chief executive officer Campbell Wilson has ​resigned as the airline deals with challenges, including financial losses and the aftermath of a deadly crash last year that killed 260 people. Wilson, whose term was set to end in 2027, will stay in the role until a successor is appointed, Air India said. A former Singapore Airlines executive, Wilson was brought in to lead a turnaround after Tata Group bought Air India from the Indian government in 2022 following years of losses. During his tenure, Air India began refurbishing aircraft and restructuring operations but also struggled with safety concerns and operational challenges. Air India board has formed a committee that will find Wilson's successor in the coming months. The airline said that Wilson told Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran in 2024 that he wanted to step down in 2026 and that he had been working to ensure the organisation was "on a stable footing for the transition". "The time is right for me to hand over the reins for the next phase of Air India's rise," said Wilson. In an internal message to Air India employees, Wilson said the company had undergone "a comprehensive transformation - modernising systems, launching new products, and raising service and operational standards across ground and air". "We've added over 100 aircraft, nearly completed the refit of legacy narrowbodies, and begun inducting widebodies with new interiors. At the same time, we've laid critical infrastructure... to support our long-term ambitions," he said. Air India suffered years of neglect when it was under state ownership. The airline has also posted losses since its return to private ownership four years ago. In 2024-25, Air India and its low-cost arm reported a combined loss of around 98 billion rupees ($1bn; £796m). The crash last June of an Ahmedabad-London flight was a big setback for Air India's ambitions. The crash last June of an Ahmedabad-London flight was a Indian regulators are wrapping up an investigation into the crash and are expected to publish a final report by 12 June, the one-year anniversary of the crash. India's aviation sector is facing pressure from rising costs, disrupted international routes due to the conflict in the Middle East, aircraft delivery delays and tighter regulatory scrutiny. Last week, Air India's rival IndiGo, which is India's largest airline, named aviation industry veteran Willie Walsh as its new chief to help the company grow amid such pressures. Last week, Air India's rival IndiGo, which is India's largest airline, named aviation industry veteran as its new chief to help the company grow amid such pressures. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Cheng Li-wun is the Kuomintang's first sitting leader to visit China in a decade. The changes will give government more power over news-related posts shared by podcasters and influencers. The rise in energy prices has hit Asia particularly hard as many nations are heavily reliant on Gulf oil. James Cook Hospital staff are setting up a bereavement centre in a village in India. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to expand into regions where it has struggled to gain a foothold. India’s aviation market is set to grow but is held back by limited long-haul capacity, says Willie Walsh. Migrant workers say they are struggling to access cooking gas cylinders as the Iran war squeezes supplies. Experts say the court's decision will have far-reaching consequences for women's religious freedoms in India.