The post had been vacant since the government handed the airline over to Tatas in January.
The post had been vacant since the government handed the airline over to Tatas in January.
Tata Sons announced on Thursday the appointment of Campbell Wilson as CEO & MD of Air India. Air India’s Board of Directors approved the appointment, subject to the necessary regulatory approvals.
The development comes after Turkish Airlines CEO Ilker Ayci’s appointment as CEO of Air India caused a stir over his political connections. The position has been vacant since the government handed control of the airline to Tatas in January.
Mr. Wilson, 50, is CEO of Scoot, the wholly owned low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA). He has over 26 years of aviation industry experience with full service and budget carriers.
“I am delighted to welcome Campbell to Air India. He is an industry veteran who has worked in various capacities in key global markets. In addition, Air India would benefit from his additional experience in building an airline brand in Asia. I look forward to working with him in building a world-class airline,” said Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran.
Mr. Wilson joined SIA in New Zealand in 1996 as a management trainee. He then worked for SIA in Canada, Hong Kong and Japan before returning to Singapore in 2011 as founding CEO of Scoot, which he led until 2016.
Mr. Wilson then served as Senior Vice-President, Sales & Marketing at SIA, overseeing pricing, distribution, e-commerce, merchandising, brand & marketing, global sales and the airline’s overseas offices before moving on to a second role returned as CEO from Scoot in April 2020.
“It is an honor to have been chosen to lead the legendary Air India and to be part of the highly respected Tata Group,” said Mr. Wilson. “Air India stands on the cusp of an exciting journey to become one of the best airlines in the world, offering world-class products and services with a distinctive customer experience that reflects Indian warmth and hospitality. I look forward to joining colleagues at Air India and Tata in making this a reality.”
