ABP Live Deep Dive | Tata's Big Question: Is It Time For A New Captain At Air India?

ABP Live Deep Dive: For the first time since Air India’s high-profile return to the Tata fold, the group is openly rethinking who should be in the cockpit of its most ambitious aviation revival. Tata Sons has quietly begun reviewing the airline’s leadership framework, setting the stage for a possible CEO transition that could come well before the end of the current tenure of Campbell Wilson.

According to a report by The Economic Times, Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran has already reached out to senior leaders from large overseas carriers, including airlines based in the United Kingdom and the United States. These interactions are understood to be part of a broader exercise to evaluate who could eventually lead Air India into its next phase of growth.

The Boardroom Mood Is Shifting

Multiple people familiar with the discussions say the mood at the top of the Tata Group has changed over the past few months. While Wilson’s contract formally runs until June 2027, the group is believed to be uneasy about how quickly visible improvements are translating on the ground.

Chandrasekaran, who also serves as Air India’s chairman, has reportedly been holding frequent review meetings to assess progress on key operational and service benchmarks. At the same time, Tata Sons has initiated similar evaluations at Air India Express, where CEO Aloke Singh is also due to complete his term in 2027.

There are mixed signals around Wilson’s own plans. A person close to him told The Economic Times that he has informed the board that he may not continue beyond 2027. However, Tata Group officials have pushed back on this claim, maintaining that no such board-level conversation has taken place and that the review process is being driven directly by Chandrasekaran.

A Turnaround That Hit Real-World Limits

Wilson took over Air India in July 2022 with a clear five-year roadmap aimed at rebuilding the airline’s brand, fleet and finances. Some of the headline projects under his leadership moved faster than many expected. The merger of Vistara into Air India was completed smoothly, and capacity additions briefly allowed the carrier to overtake IndiGo on select metro routes.

Yet the transformation has not been seamless. Global supply chain bottlenecks have stalled aircraft deliveries and slowed down the refurbishment of older planes. These delays have had a direct impact on service standards and punctuality, particularly on long-haul flights to Europe and North America. Technical snags involving wide-body aircraft have also drawn criticism.

“We should have received 28 brand new aircraft by now. But the actual number of new aircraft designed by and for Air India that we have received is zero,” Wilson was quoted as saying by The Economic Times, underlining how deeply supply disruptions have cut into the turnaround schedule.

Regulatory Heat and Mounting Losses

Air India has also found itself under sharper regulatory and public scrutiny after last year’s Ahmedabad crash that killed 260 people. Although initial findings did not flag flaws in the aircraft or the airline’s engineering processes, senior government officials reportedly chose to engage directly with Tata Group leadership instead of Wilson in the aftermath. Within the group, this episode is viewed as a moment that altered internal perceptions of leadership.

The airline’s top management, including Wilson, has also received show-cause notices from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation over alleged compliance issues. One such case involved the operation of an aircraft with an expired licence.

Financial pressure has added another layer of urgency. The closure of Pakistan’s airspace has forced longer flight paths, raising fuel and operating costs. In FY25, Air India and Air India Express together posted a combined loss of Rs 10,859 crore on revenues of Rs 78,636 crore, making them the largest loss-making companies within the Tata Group.

With the major consolidation work now largely done and the brand refresh phase nearing completion, Tata Sons appears to be preparing for a sharper, performance-driven chapter at Air India. And that new chapter could begin with a different name on the CEO’s door.