Air India has announced the appointment of former Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam as its new chief executive and managing director, four months after Campbell Wilson resigned, as the Tata Group-owned carrier enters the next phase of its transformation focused on expansion and profitability.

The appointment follows a global search overseen by a committee of Air India’s board, which evaluated both internal and external candidates before unanimously selecting Gebremariam.

He will formally assume charge once his appointment receives security clearance from the ministry of home affairs and the bureau of civil aviation security, a mandatory requirement for all airline CEOs in India. The regulatory vetting is a sensitive step for Air India. Prior to Campbell Wilson’s appointment, the airline had selected former Turkish Airlines chairman Ilker Ayci for the role. However, Ayci declined the position weeks before taking office following widespread pushback over his political ties.

The leadership change also sets the stage for a new contest in Indian aviation. With India’s two largest airlines now led by globally recognised aviation executives—Air India by Gebremariam and IndiGo by former International Air Transport Association director general Willie Walsh—the country’s aviation market enters a new phase of competition centred on international expansion and operational excellence. While Air India took four months to name a new CEO, Walsh’s appointment in March came three weeks after Pieter Elbers abruptly stepped down from the position at IndiGo.