Air India Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Campbell Wilson has resigned, but will remain associated with the airline until a new person replaces him. According to reports, his resignation was accepted in the board meeting held last week. Wilson is expected to remain in office till September or until a new CEO is chosen, so that there is no impact on the functioning.

According to the ET report, the search for a new CEO had started in January itself, as he had already indicated that he did not want to continue working after his five-year contract. It is believed that Air India is well ahead in talks with potential candidates, and an important meeting is expected next week. It is being said that experienced CEOs of big airlines are included in this race, although their names have not been revealed yet.

According to the report, Air India has refused to comment on this matter. This change is happening at a time when this Tata Group airline is going through many difficulties. The company is currently facing operational problems, rising expenses and the possibility of huge losses in this financial year. According to people in the know, there are restrictions on air routes due to the ongoing tension in West Asia. Because of this, the airline has to travel long distances and has to stop midway to refuel. Due to this, the cost of international flights has increased significantly.

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Apart from these problems, the accident of Air India flight AI 171 that happened in June 2025 also made the situation more difficult. This Boeing Dreamliner aircraft fell victim to an accident shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad, in which a total of 241 people on the plane and the ground lost their lives. According to reports, the airline's losses may increase to Rs 20,000 crore in financial year 2026. Experts say that the new CEO should have international experience of running a large airline and should also have the understanding of handling low-cost airlines.

The timing of appointment of the new CEO may also depend on the final report of the AI ​​171 accident. Although the preliminary report has been released in July 2025, the final report is expected by June 2026. This year, changes in leadership have been seen not only in Air India but also in other airlines. Earlier this year, Indigo had also announced the resignation of its CEO due to work related problems.