Air India is actively hunting for a new CEO. Reports indicate that Tata Group, which holds a majority stake in the airline, has lost faith in current CEO Campbell Wilson, and has been holding active talks with potential replacements. While the timing of the appointment of a new CEO is still unknown, what is known is that they will face two huge challenges from Day 1 in the role.

The first is Air India’s fleet transformation, which is running behind schedule, strangled by supply chain issues and manufacturer delays and stifling the airline’s plans for profitable growth. Even more challenging will be addressing the safety culture at India’s flag carrier in the aftermath of the Air India Flight 171 accident in June last year. Regulators have identified a range of ongoing issues, from flying aircraft without emergency equipment checks, to delays in replacing engine parts, maintenance record forgery, and shortcomings in crew management crew fatigue.

Tata Is Hunting For A New CEO For Air India

Campbell Wilson took over the reins at Air India in July 2022 after a 26-year career at Singapore Airlines (which owns 25.1% of Air India) and Scoot, where he held a range of senior roles. His contract runs until June 2027, but The Times of India reports that the Tata Group is looking to make a change prior to that.

According to two sources familiar with the current proceedings, Tata’s chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, has held discussions with chief executives of at least two UK- and US-based international carriers as potential candidates to take over from Wilson. Chandrasekaran has reportedly become dissatisfied with Wilson’s performance over the past year and has « grown impatient » with the pace of execution and lack of improvements on the ground. Air India Express, the group’s low-cost carrier, is also expected to see similar changes during this leadership shakeup.

Wilson has not commented on the reports that he might be leaving his role early. Instead, he has started the year with an upbeat message about the fleet transformation at Air India:

« Passenger experience is set to take a big leap forward. This will be the year customers notice the most significant change, primarily driven by the ongoing wide-body upgrade program. By the end of 2026, 81% of the international services will be operated by our upgraded aircraft. »

Tackling The Stalled Fleet Transformation

Wilson laid out a five-year transformation plan in 2022 to turn Air India into a global competitor and improve its financial performance. Thus far, results have been mixed. He has overseen the successful acquisition and integration of Vistara, which significantly increased the carrier’s fleet size. But it is the acquisition of new aircraft direct from Airbus and Boeing that has been hamstrung by delays, while prolonged global supply chain issues have also delayed the refurbishment of older aircraft.

Air India has one of the largest combined order books of any global airline. In 2023, it placed a historic order for 470 aircraft, split between Airbus and Boeing. The following year, it added an order for a further 100 aircraft with Airbus. This massive fleet renewal was intended to be the backbone of Air India’s revival.

Instead, deliveries have only trickled in, and of the massive 570-aircraft order, Air India is still waiting for 524. Wilson recently said that the slow pace of deliveries is his « number one frustration » because « until we upgrade the aircraft, people won’t believe that the transformation is happening. » For any new CEO, this will continue to be a massive burden and an area where they have very little control, with the carrier likely continuing to battle delivery delays for new aircraft well into next year.

Establishing A Culture Of Operational And Safety Excellence

An even bigger area of concern for any new CEO will be the airline’s operations. These have faced heightened scrutiny from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator, since last year’s crash that killed 260 people. However, the airline has struggled with regular high-profile reports of concerning incidents in the back half of 2025, including:

These issues have further weakened Wilson’s leadership over time, with senior government officials reportedly sidestepping Wilson and choosing to deal directly with Tata’s top leadership. Now it would seem that Tata is ready to call time on its beleaguered CEO. Yet for Wilson’s successor, the Air India turnaround is far from over, and the margin for error is only shrinking. There is little left for the airline to convert promise into performance in one of the world’s most competitive aviation markets.