Campbell Wilson, the chief executive officer tasked with leading the Tata Group’s ambitious overhaul of Air India Ltd., has resigned from the airline, Mint reported, citing people with direct knowledge of the matter.
Wilson is currently serving his notice period, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. It remains unclear when his tenure will officially conclude or if Tata Group has identified a successor for the nation’s second-largest carrier.
A spokesperson for Air India did not immediately respond to Mint’s email seeking comment.
The departure marks a significant leadership vacuum for the storied airline, which was acquired by Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd. from the government for ₹18,000 crore in early 2022. Wilson, a veteran of the Singapore Airlines Ltd. ecosystem, was hired from low-cost unit Scoot in May 2022 with a mandate to modernise a fleet and culture long hampered by state control. His contract was originally slated to run through July 2027.
Mounting Pressures
Wilson’s exit follows a period of intensifying operational and geopolitical headwinds for the airline. The 12 June 2025 crash of an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London shortly after takeoff triggered a wave of regulatory scrutiny and forced the temporary grounding of several aircraft.
The airline’s international operations have also been squeezed by regional instability. The closure of Pakistani airspace due to cross-border tensions and the ongoing conflict in West Asia have driven up fuel costs and forced longer, less efficient flight paths.
The leadership change comes at a delicate moment for Tata Group’s aviation strategy, which recently saw the merger of Vistara airlines—a joint venture with Singapore Airlines—into Air India. Singapore Airlines now holds a 25.1% stake in the combined entity.
Financial Headwinds
Despite the turmoil, Wilson managed to narrow the carrier’s financial bleeding. Air India reported a 13% rise in standalone revenue to ₹61,080 crore in Fiscal 2025, narrowing its loss to ₹3,976 crore. However, the airline remains the largest loss-making entity within the Tata Group.
Success has been even more elusive at its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express, where losses more than quadrupled to ₹5,822 crore in the same period.
The transition at the top mirrors a broader reshuffling in the Indian aviation market. IndiGo, the country’s dominant carrier, recently tapped former British Airways chief William Walsh as its CEO, signaling a high-stakes battle for experienced global leadership in the world’s fastest-growing aviation market.
