Air India and the cost of a handover in the middle of a crisis
At Air India, the timing of Campbell Wilson’s departure lands in a year still marked by grief, scrutiny, and financial strain. air india now faces a leadership change while the airline is trying to steady operations after the Ahmedabad crash, the losses, and the pressure of rebuilding trust.
Why is Air India changing leadership now?
Air India said Wilson will remain in the role until a successor is appointed, with the board forming a committee to find the next chief in the coming months. Wilson’s term had been due to run until 2027, but he had already told Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran in 2024 that he wanted to step down in 2026 and help ensure the organisation was on stable footing for the transition.
In a message to employees, Wilson said the airline had undergone a comprehensive transformation, including modernising systems, launching new products, and raising service and operational standards across ground and air. He pointed to more than 100 aircraft added, the near-completion of refits for legacy narrowbody aircraft, and the start of widebody inductions with new interiors. Even so, the handover arrives while air india is still dealing with the aftermath of the deadly crash last year and the financial damage that followed.
What has changed for Air India since the crash?
The June crash of the Ahmedabad-London flight killed 260 people and became a defining setback for the airline’s ambitions. Indian regulators are wrapping up an investigation and are expected to publish a final report by 12 June, the one-year anniversary of the crash. The airline has also faced regulatory reprimands over safety failings, including flying an aircraft eight times without an airworthiness certificate and operating planes without checking emergency equipment.
In December, the airline acknowledged a need for urgent improvements in process discipline, communication, and compliance culture. That admission showed how the crisis had moved beyond reputation and into the daily mechanics of running an airline. For air india, the challenge is not only to restore confidence among passengers, but to rebuild internal routines that regulators and staff can trust.
How deep are the financial pressures?
The airline has posted losses since its return to private ownership, and the latest combined loss for Air India and its low-cost arm reached around 98 billion rupees, or about $1bn, in 2024-25. That burden sits alongside a difficult operating environment: rising costs, disrupted international routes because of the conflict in the Middle East, aircraft delivery delays, and tighter regulatory scrutiny.
Chandrasekaran said he appreciated Wilson’s leadership over the past four years despite numerous external challenges, including post-Covid supply chain disruption, aircraft delivery delays, and major geopolitical and other headwinds. Those pressures are not abstract. They shape route planning, fuel bills, fleet expansion, and the airline’s ability to turn its turnaround story into a durable recovery. For air india, the numbers suggest the next chief will inherit a company still balancing investment with fragility.
Who is being asked to carry the next phase?
Wilson said the time was right to hand over the reins for the next phase of Air India’s rise. In his view, the foundational work had been done: the merger of four airlines, systems modernisation, new products, elevated service standards, and 100 additional aircraft added to the fleet. He also said there was a brief window before deliveries from the nearly 600-strong aircraft orderbook begin in earnest from 2027.
That next phase now depends on the successor committee and on whether the airline can keep operations stable while leadership changes. Air India Express is also without a leader after its managing director left last month at the end of a five-year term, adding to the sense of transition across the group. The moment is shaped by both pace and uncertainty: a company trying to move forward, while still living with the consequences of the year behind it.
For passengers, the scene is far from the corporate language of transformation. It is the everyday reality of a carrier under strain, trying to keep schedules, safety, and confidence intact. As air india waits for a new chief, the question is not only who takes the seat next, but whether the airline can turn a difficult handover into a steadier future.
