The new CEO has his “hands full” of challenges, says Air India’s Campbell

File photo of Air India CEO Campbell Wilson. | Photo credit: PTI

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said his successor would have his “hands full” as the carrier grapples with a ban on Pakistani airspace, the impact of the Iran war and higher operating costs due to a strong US dollar.

Speaking at an event in New York, Mr Wilson said he would leave the company in two months and the next four years would be “just as challenging as the past, but in a different way”.

He pledged to help ensure a smooth transition and said he wanted to “make sure the right person is in place to carry on” in several challenges.

Air India has reported heavy losses, faced a series of safety lapses, and in June 2025 saw the crash of its 787 Dreamliner, killing hundreds of people. The carrier has also been forced to cancel thousands of flights due to the Iran war and Pakistan’s airspace ban.

Flights on profitable international routes to North America have been curtailed, and existing flights face longer journeys, adding to costs amid high fuel prices.

“Now we can’t fly over many parts of the Persian Gulf, so we have to take an even longer route. An eight-and-a-half-hour flight from Delhi to London now takes 12 (hours),” Mr Wilson said.

Mr. Wilson mentioned that the cost of fuel has doubled from 34% of the carrier’s cost before the ‌US-Iran war.

In addition to company-specific challenges such as growth and building employee relations, the new CEO must focus on managing global aviation challenges such as airspace closures and uncertain fuel prices, he said.

“The platform has been laid, but obviously when you bring in an aircraft, you will soon be operating on a much larger scale,” he added.

According to multiple reports, Air India was reprimanded for safety lapses, including repeatedly flying the aircraft without a valid airworthiness certificate and without proper emergency equipment checks.

In the midst of the US-Iran war, Air India canceled approximately 2,500 flights to West Asia in three weeks, running only 30 percent of its normal schedule in West Asia.

Published – 22 May 2026 11:35 AM IST