Former Ethiopian group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam to be Air India’s new Maharaja
NEW DELHI: Air India Wednesday announced former Ethiopian Airlines group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam as its next CEO and MD, succeeding Campbell Wilson. Gebremariam had spent over 36 years in Africa’s largest airline where he served various roles, including as regional director for India and south Asia in 1995-96, before quitting the group in March 2022 to become a senior strategic adviser to US carrier Delta.Incidentally, Pakistan International Airlines, which was privatised last Dec and the new majority stakeholder is trying to revive it, had also selected Gebremariam as CEO given his contribution in making Ethiopian emerge as Africa’s largest airline. The Tata Group, which is trying to revive AI and AI Express after acquiring it in Jan 2022, have managed to steal the march on PIA in getting the former Ethiopian boss.Subject to getting all required approvals, which should not be an issue as Ethiopia is a friendly country unlike a Turkish national Tatas had chosen soon after taking over AI and who did not get security clearance, Gebremariam could join next month taking over from current incumbent Campbell Wilson.While AI’s attempted turnaround is the most difficult one in contemporary aviation due to challenges like legacy issues compounded by post Covid supply chain constraints and airspace constraints, AI 171 crash last June has made matter worse for the Maharaja. The airline lost almost Rs 23,000 crore last fiscal and this year also is proving to be tough one for all airlines globally.In such a situation, AI says its board had to “identify a leader with a proven record of managing mega-scale airline turnarounds, delivering operational excellence, fostering a strong culture of safety and service, and driving profitable expansion…. Gebremariam possesses the ideal combination of leadership, deep operational expertise, and strategic execution capability required for Air India’s next phase of growth.”Gebremariam is “widely recognized as one of the most successful aviation chief executives. During his decade-plus tenure as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, he spearheaded a multi-billion-dollar expansion, transforming a regional carrier into Africa’s largest, most profitable, and decorated airline group—growing revenue by more than fourfold and fleet size nearly threefold,” AI said in a statement.N. Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, said: “Having completed the initial phase of stabilization, integration, and fleet commitments under Campbell’s guidance, AI is now entering a critical execution and expansion era. Tewolde’s track record in building one of the world’s most efficient and profitable airline groups makes him uniquely suited to lead Air India. His operational expertise, commitment to safety, and vision for hub development will be instrumental as we establish Air India as a premier global carrier and a source of national pride.”Tewolde Gebremariam said: “Air India carries an incredible legacy, and the opportunity to build a world-class global airline that reflects India’s extraordinary economic potential is uniquely exciting. I look forward to working closely with chairman Chandrasekaran, the board, our employees, and all government and industry partners to deliver exceptional operational reliability, warm Indian hospitality, and sustained long-term growth.”
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com