FILE PHOTO: Air India Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson
| Photo Credit:
AMIIT DAVE

The buzz around a possible change at the top of Air India has grown louder as doubts deepen over whether the Tata Group-led revival has delivered on its promise of operational excellence and customer-centric transformation.

Nearly three years after Air India’s return to the Tata Group, persistent disruptions, uneven service quality and slow-moving reforms have triggered an internal reassessment of leadership, industry insiders told businessline.

Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson inherited an airline weakened by years of underinvestment, labour challenges and an ageing fleet. Early allowances for these legacy constraints were broadly accepted. But as the Tata-led management approaches its third year, those allowances are wearing thin. Critics increasingly question whether the current leadership has the operational clarity and bandwidth to carry the turnaround into its most demanding phase.

Mark D Martin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Martin Consulting, said it was “too coincidental and uncanny” that Wilson’s exit is being discussed at a time when the final report on the AI171 incident is expected from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. “It is widely known that Wilson’s allegiance and loyalty to the Singapore Airlines Group led to Singapore Airlines’ agenda being kept paramount, resulting in a remote-control approach to Air India while suppressing the Tata Group’s objectives,” Martin said.

Structural move

Wilson’s early tenure was marked by decisive structural moves. The Vihaan.AI transformation programme laid out a revival framework, while the order for 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing reset Air India’s long-term ambitions. Network expansion to Europe, North America and Australia helped restore some credibility to its global aspirations.

Execution, however, has lagged intent. Operational performance has improved only incrementally, with recurring disruptions linked to aircraft availability, crew shortages, training backlogs and other constraints. The integration of Vistara with Air India, and AIX Connect with Air India Express, has added further complexity.

Customer experience remains uneven. While a new brand identity, refreshed cabins on select aircraft and improved digital interfaces have helped shift perception, wide variation across fleet types continues to undermine passenger confidence.

Financially, Air India remains in an investment-heavy phase, with high capital expenditure and merger-related inefficiencies weighing on near-term performance. The deeper cultural shift, from a public-sector legacy to a performance-driven private airline, has also proved slower than anticipated.

Ultimately, the debate has shifted from vision to delivery. The architecture of Air India’s revival is largely in place; whether the current or a future leadership can translate it into reliable operations, consistent service and financial discipline will determine whether the Tata Group’s promise of excellence is finally realised.

Published on January 5, 2026