New Delhi, Jan 05: Tata Group-owned Air India is set to make a major reshuffle in its board of directors. Tata Sons is considering giving a gatepass to current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Campbell Wilson and is on the lookout for new global leaders. Quoting highly placed sources, the Economic Times reported.
N. Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, has already held talks with heads of major international airlines based in Britain and the US. It is learnt that preliminary discussions have been held with two candidates who are capable of taking the helm of Air India.
What is the reason for the discontent?
Campbell Wilson's tenure is till June 2027. However, Chandrasekaran is extremely unhappy with the pace of reforms and the performance at the grassroots level in Air India. This has led to a potential premature leadership change. Not only Air India, but also the stage is being set for a change of CEO Alok Singh of the group's low-cost airline, Air India Express.
Wilson's administration has yielded mixed results
New Zealand-born Campbell Wilson took over as Air India CEO in July 2022. He had a goal of making Air India a globally competitive company in five years. Under his administration, Vistara Airlines was smoothly merged with Air India. In addition, he also succeeded in overtaking IndiGo on major metro routes.
However, the global delay in the renewal of old aircraft and the supply of new aircraft has dealt a big blow to Air India. "We were supposed to get 28 new aircraft by now, but in reality we have got zero," Wilson himself had recently said. This led to technical glitches and delays in flights on major routes like Europe and North America, causing red eyes for passengers.
Financial Loss and DGCA Notice
Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express incurred a loss of Rs 10,859 crore in the financial year 2024-25. This is the highest loss in the Tata group. In addition, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued show cause notices to several officials, including Wilson, for violating safety rules.
It is being analyzed that the government officials sidelined Wilson and directly dealt with the top leaders of the Tata group after the plane crash that occurred last year, which has damaged his reputation.
Tata Sons is now looking for a new leadership that can be more efficient and strategic to bring Air India to profitability and improve customer service standards.