Air India Taps Gebremariam Amid Crisis

The financial picture is just as severe. Air India reported a record loss of nearly $2.3 billion last month, and Chandrasekaran has warned that a full turnaround could take as long as a decade. The airline has also cut nearly a third of its international operations, underscoring how deeply the strain has reached across the business. Air India operates 198 aircraft and flies nearly 5,000 weekly flights to 91 destinations in India and abroad, according to the airline’s website.

Wilson, a former Singapore Airlines executive, was brought in after Tata Group bought Air India from the Indian government in 2022. He had said in 2024 that he planned to step down in 2026 and had been preparing for a smooth handover. His departure now leaves the new CEO in charge sooner than expected, at a time when Air India is trying to prove it can move beyond the long shadow of state ownership and years of decline.

There have also been visible signs of strain in recent months. In March, a Delhi-Vancouver flight turned back after nearly eight hours because it lacked clearance to enter Canadian airspace. The episode added to a list of setbacks that have kept the airline in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, even as India’s wider aviation sector faces rising costs, route disruptions tied to the Iran war, aircraft delivery delays, and tighter regulatory scrutiny.

Aviation experts say Gebremariam’s experience may fit the scale of the job. They point to the crises he managed at Ethiopian Airlines, including the 2019 Boeing 737 Max crash and the Covid pandemic, when the airline stayed profitable by leaning harder into cargo while passenger demand collapsed. Sanjay Lazar, chief executive of Avialaz Consultants, said Gebremariam won support from employees during both crises, especially through his backing of pilots and engineers at Ethiopian. For American travelers, investors, and business leaders watching global aviation, Air India’s next chapter matters because one of the world’s largest airlines is now trying to restore trust, cut losses, and rebuild its network at the same time. The key thing to watch next is when Gebremariam formally takes over and whether Air India can turn the page on its safety and financial troubles.