‘Better than the best’: Chandrasekaran sets Air India’s safety bar as CEO handover begins

Fresh updates from the financial markets indicate that Air India’s safety record must exceed those of the world’s leading airlines, Chairman N. Chandrasekaran told employees on September 7, as the carrier began its leadership handover from Campbell Wilson to incoming chief Tewolde Gebremariam.

“Air India must be known for caring around safety above everything else,” Chandrasekaran stated at an employee townhall. “Our safety record should not just match the best airlines in the world, it should be better than the best.”

Chandrasekaran stated public trust must stay central to the airline’s transformation. Achieving that would require firm operating processes, compliance and individual accountability across the firm, he further noted.

Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, employees came together at a town hall to welcome Air India's new CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, alongside outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson, marking the next chapter in Air India's transformation journey.

(Source: Air India) pic.twitter.com/Qd2jGaNCxg

— ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2026

The chairman additionally called for greater consistency in customer service and tighter cost control. “Every individual in Air India can contribute to improving cost efficiency,” he told employees, according to a firm account of the meeting.

The townhall was addressed jointly by Chandrasekaran, Wilson and Gebremariam. Chandrasekaran thanked employees for their work since the Tata Group regained control of Air India in January 2022.

“Air India belongs to a billion people. It is not just another business,” he stated, adding that the airline attracted scrutiny because of its position as India’s flag carrier.

Air India announced Wilson’s resignation on April 7. The airline stated Wilson had informed Chandrasekaran in 2024 that he intended to step down in 2026.

Wilson, who joined Air India in July 2022, is scheduled to leave on September 30, Reuters noted. His tenure covered the merger of Vistara with Air India, the consolidation of Air India Express and AIX Connect, a brand overhaul and the start of the airline’s fleet modernisation programme.

Air India’s board named Gebremariam as CEO and managing director on August 5. The airline stated at the time that the precise onboarding and transition schedule would be announced later.

Gebremariam previously led Ethiopian Airlines Group for more than a decade. During his tenure, the carrier’s topline increased more than fourfold and its fleet nearly tripled, according to Air India. Safety and financial backdrop

Chandrasekaran stated the past 18 months had tested the airline through geopolitical disruptions, airspace closures, fuel-price volatility and the crash of flight AI171.

The Boeing 787 operating AI171 crashed shortly after leaving Ahmedabad for London Gatwick on June 12, 2025, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released a preliminary report in July 2025 but did not assign a final cause.

Air India faced further scrutiny after an August 4 flight from Phuket to New Delhi injured 24 passengers and crew members. An AAIB preliminary note stated the Airbus A320 temporarily lost pressure in all three hydraulic systems, triggering a stall warning. The report did not establish why the pressure loss occurred.

Air India Group recorded a loss of more than $2 billion in FY26, according to shareholder Singapore Airlines’ annual report cited by Reuters. Singapore Airlines stated airspace restrictions, supply-chain constraints, limited operations to some West Asian markets and elevated jet-fuel prices had affected the carrier.

In July, Chandrasekaran stated Air India’s turnaround could take up to a decade because of supply-chain disruptions and the work required on its fleet, systems and workforce. That timeline extends beyond the five-year Vihaan.AI transformation programme rolled out in September 2022.