Air India CEO Campbell Wilson resigns

• April 7, 2026
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Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson has resigned, marking a major leadership shift at the Tata Group-owned carrier as it continues one of the most closely watched airline turnarounds in global aviation.

Wilson stepped down amid persistent losses and heightened regulatory scrutiny, with the executive expected to remain through a six-month notice period while a successor is identified.

The resignation comes at a sensitive moment for Air India. The airline has been pursuing its five-year Vihaan.AI transformation programme under Wilson’s leadership, aimed at rebuilding the carrier into a world-class global airline following its return to the Tata Group in 2022. Air India’s own corporate material states that Wilson had served as CEO and Managing Director since 25 July 2022 and was leading the airline’s broad-based strategic overhaul across operations, customer experience, digital systems and governance.

Air India has been going through mounting operational and financial pressure, including combined losses of ₹98.08 billion for Air India and Air India Express in the 2024–25 fiscal year. There is also increased oversight after the fatal 2025 crash that killed 260 people, as well as broader disruption from airspace restrictions and aircraft delivery delays.

While Air India has yet to issue a detailed public explanation for the resignation, the development is significant for a carrier in the middle of a sweeping transformation. In recent months, Air India had continued to project momentum, highlighting its digital rebuild, fleet upgrades and long-term modernisation plan. The airline has also pointed to major structural milestones including the completion of the Vistara merger, which left Singapore Airlines with a 25.1 per cent stake in the enlarged Air India group.

Wilson’s exit now raises fresh questions over continuity at the top of the business just as competition in Indian aviation intensifies. The timing is particularly notable given India’s growing strategic importance in global aviation and the recent appointment of Willie Walsh to lead IndiGo, a move that has sharpened attention on leadership firepower across the Indian market.