The CEO of Tata owned airline Air India, Campbell Wilson said that his successor will have their "hands full,"as the airline faces losses and challenges due to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
“The next four years is going to be just as challenging as the past, albeit in a different way," Reuters quoted Wilson, who was speaking at Wings Club in New York. "And so the person that takes over will have their hands full, but I want to make sure the right person is in place to carry that forward.”
On April 7, Air India announced the resignation of Campbell Wilson as the CEO and Managing Director on Tuesday, April 7.
Following Wilson's exit, Singapore Airlines executive Vinod Kannan and Air India's commercial head Nipun Aggarwal are reportedly the two frontrunners to become the next CEO of Air India.
Wilson mentioned that it was clear that he would serve a four-year term at Air India, but would take steps to help his successor.
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"I'm going to be flexible for as long as it takes for them to find someone and make sure that we do a good transition," Wilson said.
The airline has reported major losses and faced severe allegations of safety lapses recently. Last year, the carrier was involved in a crash, where one of its 787 Dreamliner jets in June 2025 that left hundreds dead, while thousands of flights were cancelled due to the Iran war and Pakistan airspace ban. Meanwhile, some of its profitable international routes to North America were cancelled or downsized, while some existing flights are getting delayed.
"We now can't fly over many parts of the Gulf, so we have to take an even longer routing. An eight-and-a-half-hour flight from Delhi to London now takes 12 (hours)," Wilson said. The fuel cost has doubled from 34% of the airlines' expenses prior to the war, he added.
Air India is considering to implement measures to cut costs and reduce flights due to the ongoing geopolitical tensions, Bloomberg earlier reported citing people familiar with the matter.
ALSO READ: Air India Flight Declares 'Full Emergency' At Delhi Airport After Engine Fire Alarm
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