Tata Sons appoints Campbell Wilson as Air India CEO & MD

NEW DELHI –  Tata Sons on Thursday said it has appointed Campbell Wilson as the airline’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of Air India following approval of the airline board. Wilson, 50, has 26 years of aviation industry expertise across both full service and low-cost airlines. He is the CEO of Scoot, the wholly owned low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA). “I am delighted to welcome Campbell to Air India. He is an industry veteran having worked in key global markets cutting across multiple functions. Further, Air India would benefit from his added experience of having built an airline brand in Asia. I look forward to working with him in building a world-class airline,” said N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Air India. Wilson started off as a management trainee with Singapore Airlines in New Zealand in 1996. He then worked for SIA in Canada, Hong Kong and Japan before returning to Singapore in 2011 as the founding CEO of Scoot, which he led until 2016. Wilson then served as the Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing of SIA, where he oversaw pricing, distribution, e-commerce, merchandising, brand & marketing, global sales and the airline’s overseas offices before returning for a second stint as the CEO of Scoot in April 2020. Wilson holds a Master of Commerce in Business Administration from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Speaking on his appointment as Air India CEO and MD, Campbell Wilson said, “It is honour to be selected to lead the iconic Air India and be a part of the highly respected Tata Group. Air India is at the cusp of an exciting journey to become one of the best airlines in the world, offering world-class products and services with a distinct customer experience that reflects Indian warmth and hospitality. I am excited to join Air India and Tata colleagues in the mission of realising that ambition.” In a setback to Tata group, former Turkish Airlines chairman Ilker Ayci had earlier turned down Tata Sons offer to be Air India CEO and MD saying that “some sections of the Indian media” attempted to “colour” his appointment in an undesirable manner. RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) had raised red flag to the appointment of Ilker Ayci and said that government should not give him clearance ‘keeping in view national security’.