Exclusive: Air India CEO Campbell Wilson resigns amid losses, operational setbacks

Mint independently could not ascertain when Wilson’s notice ends, or whether the Tata Group has found a successor to steer the airline. An email sent to Air India seeking comment went unanswered.The Tata Group had hired Wilson from Singapore Airlines’ low-cost unit Scoot in May 2022, less than four months after the conglomerate acquired the government-run airline for ₹18,000 crore.

His tenure was to end in July 2027.Following the acquisition, the Tata Group merged Vistara, a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines Ltd, with Air India. Consequently, Singapore Airlines became a 25.1% shareholder in Air India, while Tata Sons owns 74.9%.However, in Wilson's third year at the airline, things took a turn for the worse on 12 June, when an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed shortly after takeoff.

This led to increased scrutiny, inspections and a temporary grounding of several aircraft, straining operations.Subsequently, India-Pakistan conflict led to the closure of Pakistan's airspace, hurting Indian airlines’ international flights. The war in West Asia compounded challenges, driving up fuel costs, extending flight durations, and limiting viable routes.Four years into its turnaround under the Tata fold, Air India’s $400 million aircraft retrofit programme is two years behind schedule, Wilson told Mint earlier.

The delay has slowed fleet upgrades and international expansion, though the airline says costs remain on track and most designs are finalized.In FY25, Air India’s standalone revenue rose 13% to ₹61,080 crore. Under Wilson, it cut losses to ₹3,976 crore from ₹5,031 crore a year earlier.