The Tata group on Thursday announced the appointment of Campbell Wilson as the managing director and chief executive officer (MD & CEO) of Air India. The appointment is subject to regulatory approvals. 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), Tata Sons said in a statement on Thursday.
Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran said, “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.”
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.”
Wilson started off as a management trainee with SIA 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 and 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 (1st Class Honours) in Business Administration from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Wilson was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand and is a Singapore permanent resident.
Earlier, Turkish Airlines’ former chairman lker Ayci was appointed as Air India’s CEO but he declined the role. Ayci was also an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan when he was mayor of Istanbul between 1994-1998. During this time, Aycı had held several positions in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
His appointment was opposed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s affiliate Swadeshi Jagaran Manch. “It would not be a feasible or an honourable decision to accept the position in the shadow of such a narrative,” he had said.
Air India is now owned by the Tata group. Air India’s strategic disinvestment transaction was completed in January with the government receiving a consideration of Rs 2,700 crore from Talace Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons. In October last year, Tatas won the bid for Air India through a competitive bidding for Rs 18,000 crore, including the cash component of Rs 2,700 crore.
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