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Tata puts trust, safety at heart of Air India revival
In Short
New CEO Tewolde Gebremariam vows to restore airline’s fortunes as carrier battles losses and operational challenges
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N.Chandrasekaran
New Delhi: Air India needs to rebuild passenger trust, strengthen safety standards and tighten cost discipline as it enters a crucial new phase, Tata Sons Chairman and Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran said on Monday.
Addressing employees at a town hall, Chandrasekaran formally introduced incoming CEO and Managing Director Tewolde Gebremariam, who succeeds Campbell Wilson. He said the airline’s priorities must be safety, customer trust, operational execution and cost discipline.
“The most important thing Air India should aspire to have is trust in the minds of people,” Chandrasekaran said, adding that its safety standards should be “better than the best”.
He acknowledged that the past 18 months had been particularly difficult, citing geopolitical disruptions, airspace closures, fuel-price volatility and the fatal AI171 accident as factors affecting operations and performance.
The June 2025 crash of an Air India Boeing 787 shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad killed 260 people and triggered heightened scrutiny of the airline’s safety practices and operational processes.
The airline also faces a significant financial challenge. Air India Group recorded a loss of more than $2 billion in the fiscal year ended March 2026, according to Singapore Airlines, which owns a 25.1 per cent stake in the group.
Against this backdrop, Gebremariam called for a renewed focus on the basics of airline operations and urged employees to put safety first.
“Safety-first culture has to be the number one priority,” he said, adding that concerns should be raised and operations stopped if something was not right.
He also identified on-time departures and arrivals, reliable baggage delivery and clean aircraft as the foundations of operational excellence.
Gebremariam, 61, brings nearly four decades of experience at Ethiopian Airlines, including more than 11 years as its CEO. He said Air India had a powerful heritage and enormous potential, recalling a period when the airline was among the industry’s leaders.
“We will Make Air India Great Again,” he told employees, echoing US President Donald Trump’s slogan.
Air India has more than 500 aircraft on order and is simultaneously undertaking fleet renewal, cabin refurbishment, technology upgrades and integration following the Tata Group’s acquisition of the airline in 2022 and the subsequent Vistara merger.
Outgoing CEO Wilson, who led the transformation since the Tata takeover, said the airline’s best days were still ahead and pledged to remain its “biggest cheerleader from the sidelines”.
