Incoming CEO of Air India, Tewolde Gebremariam, urged employees to “Make Air India Great Again,” as the Tata Group airline, amid a major leadership change, faces one of its most challenging times. In his first address to employees on Monday (September 7), he stressed the importance of safety and said that “a safety-first culture has to be our number one priority”.
Gebremariam, 61, was appointed Air India's CEO and managing director on August 5 following a search overseen by a dedicated board committee. He took operational charge on Monday, though his formal designation will be official once pending security clearances are finalised by the end of the month.
He addressed employees at a town hall alongside Tata Sons and Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran and outgoing CEO and MD Campbell Wilson.
"The most important thing Air India should aspire to have is trust in the minds of people," Chandrasekaran told employees, adding that the airline's safety record should be "better than the best." It was his first town hall with employees after announcing that he would leave the Tata Sons chairmanship when his current term ends on February 20, 2027.
He said the carrier's next phase would have to focus on safety, customer trust, operational execution and cost discipline, while urging employees to build a stronger culture of cost consciousness.
Chandrasekaran acknowledged that the past 18 months had been particularly difficult, citing geopolitical disruptions, airspace closures, fuel-price volatility and the fatal AI171 accident as factors that had affected Air India's operations and performance.
The tragic Ahmedabad (Flight Al 171) crash on June 12, 2025, which resulted in 241 people on board and 19 people outside losing their lives, dealt a severe blow to the airline’s safety practices. The airline at present is facing intense scrutiny following a sudden loss of altitude on a Phuket-Delhi flight.
The carrier also faces financial challenges and is actively seeking additional capital to service its aggressive growth plans, which include an order book of more than 500 aircraft. Singapore Airlines’(SIA) annual financial statement showed that Air India's losses stood at about $2.8 billion in FY26, its biggest annual loss since the airline was taken over by the Tata Group in 2022. SIA owns a 25.1% stake in the Air India group.
Gebremariam urged employees for a renewed focus on the basics of airline operations. The former chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines Group, who has nearly four decades of experience in the industry, including more than 11 years at the helm of Ethiopian Airlines, said Air India had a powerful heritage, a strong brand and enormous potential.
“If we do the right things at the right time, the sky is the limit,” he said.
Gebremariam also recalled his experience with Air India while working in Mumbai in the 1990s, saying the airline was then at the top of the industry. He said he now had an opportunity to help restore the carrier to that position. Gebremariam also put operational reliability at the centre of his plans, saying the fundamentals included punctual departures and arrivals, reliable baggage delivery and clean aircraft.
