Air India chief executive officer-designate Tewolde Gebremariam on Monday told employees that building a safety-first culture was his top priority as the airline prepares for its next phase of growth.
“A safety-first culture has to be our number one priority. It is not enough to say it. We must live it every day. If something is not right, stop. Every employee should feel empowered to raise concerns, and I will support that culture,” Gebremariam said at the company town hall along with Tata Sons and Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran and outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson.
He also highlighted the importance of operational excellence. “Operational excellence is about getting the basics right every day: on-time departures, on-time arrivals, baggage delivery and clean aircraft. Customer experience is a function of operational excellence. We need to minimise disruptions and when they do occur, handle them professionally and take care of our customers,” he said.
Gebremariam was named the airline’s CEO on August 5, and will succeed Campbell Wilson, who is due to step down from his post on September 30. His security clearance from the government is yet to come through.
{{/usCountry}}Gebremariam was named the airline’s CEO on August 5, and will succeed Campbell Wilson, who is due to step down from his post on September 30. His security clearance from the government is yet to come through.
{{/usCountry}}Gebremariam, who spent four decades at Ethiopian Airlines Group, recalled that Air India was at the top of the industry at the time and he was excited about the opportunity to lead the airline to great heights.
“Air India has a powerful heritage, a strong brand and enormous potential. If we do the right things at the right time, the sky is the limit,” he said.
Invoking a familiar phrase from American politics, the incoming chief executive promised to “Make Air India Great Again”. “I am coming from the US, so allow me to borrow a phrase, MAGA. We will Make Air India Great Again,” he said.
Seeking employees’ partnership in Air India’s next chapter, Tewolde asked for their support and cooperation. “We cannot bring about meaningful change without the commitment of our people,” he said.
In his speech, outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson welcomed his successor. “Tewolde is a proven airline leader with deep industry experience, and I know he will take Air India forward with great success,” he said.
“I want to assure you I will remain Air India’s biggest cheerleader from the sidelines.”
Chandrasekaran described bringing Air India back to the Tata Group as one of the most important milestones of my career, and a very significant event. “Air India belongs to a billion people. It is not just another business,” he said, acknowledging that the past 18 months had been particularly challenging for the airline, with geopolitical disruptions, airspace closures, fuel volatility and the AI171 accident impacting operations and performance.
The airline’s next phase must focus on safety, customer trust, operational execution and cost discipline, he said.
“The most important thing Air India should aspire to have is trust in the minds of people.”
Chandrasekaran stressed that achieving this would require world-class processes, rigorous compliance, and personal accountability across the organisation, and called for a stronger focus on consistency in the customer experience and greater agility in responding to a rapidly changing operating environment.
Seeking employees’ partnership in Air India’s next chapter, Tewolde asked for their support and cooperation.
“We cannot bring about meaningful change without the commitment of our people,” he said.
Welcoming his successor, outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson said, “Tewolde is a proven airline leader with deep industry experience, and I know he will take Air India forward with great success.”
“I want to assure you I will remain Air India’s biggest cheerleader from the sidelines.”
Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran said, “For me, bringing Air India back to the Tata Group is one of the most important milestones of my career, a very very significant event. Air India belongs to a billion people. It is not just another business.”
He acknowledged that the past 18 months had been particularly challenging for the airline, with geopolitical disruptions, airspace closures, fuel volatility and the tragic AI171 accident impacting operations and performance.
Looking ahead, Chandrasekaran said the airline’s next phase must focus on safety, customer trust, operational execution and cost discipline.
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“The most important thing Air India should aspire to have is trust in the minds of people.”
He stressed that achieving this would require world-class processes, rigorous compliance and personal accountability across the organisation.
Chandrasekaran also called for a stronger focus on consistency in customer experience and greater agility in responding to a rapidly changing operating environment.