(April 7): Air India chief executive officer Campbell Wilson has given notice of his resignation from the Tata Group-owned carrier, according to a local media report.
Wilson, whose contract is not set to expire until mid-2027, will hand over his responsibilities after an unspecified transition period, the Mint newspaper reported, citing two unidentified people with direct knowledge of the matter.
Representatives for Air India didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment outside of normal business hours. Wilson couldn’t be reached for immediate comment.
Wilson’s reported exit comes as the airline struggles to recover from a deadly plane crash last year and rising costs due to Pakistan, India’s longtime rival, banning Indian carriers from flying through its airspace.
The reported resignation also follows the departure last month of competitor IndiGo’s CEO Pieter Elbers, underscoring the difficult times Indian carriers face as jet fuel becomes costlier and flying routes longer due to the Iran war.
The Tata Group has been scouting for a new Air India CEO, Bloomberg News reported in January, with group chair Natarajan Chandrasekaran holding initial discussions with potential candidates as the conglomerate grew impatient with the airline’s slow recovery.
See also: Restructured Chinese carrier Hainan Air eyeing return to bond market — Bloomberg
The Tata Group bought Air India from the country’s government in 2022, and Singapore Airlines Ltd has a 25.1% stake in the carrier.
Wilson joined the airline in 2022 from Scoot, a low-cost carrier owned by Singapore Airlines.
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