Air India appoints Tewolde Gebremariam as Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director

The Board of Directors of Air India today announced the appointment of Tewolde Gebremariam as the airline’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, succeeding Campbell Wilson. This executive transition marks a pivotal juncture in Air India’s transformation journey to become a world-class, leading global airline.

The Board conducted a comprehensive search to identify the next leader for Air India, overseen by a dedicated Board committee. The committee rigorously evaluated internal as well as highly accomplished external candidates from across the world.

The objective of the Board was to identify a leader with a proven record of managing mega-scale airline turnarounds, delivering operational excellence, fostering a strong culture of safety and service, and driving profitable expansion. Following an intensive evaluation process, the Board unanimously concluded that Mr. Gebremariam possesses the ideal combination of leadership, deep operational expertise, and strategic execution capability required for Air India’s next phase of growth.

Tewolde Gebremariam is widely recognized as one of the most successful aviation chief executives. During his decade-plus tenure as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, he spearheaded a multi-billion-dollar expansion, transforming a regional carrier into Africa’s largest, most profitable, and decorated airline group—growing revenue by more than fourfold and fleet size nearly threefold.

His unique strength lies in managing complex operational landscapes, driving cultural transformation, building competitive global hubs, and developing world-class MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) and aviation training infrastructure.

As Air India shifts from its foundational turnaround phase into a high growth & profitable execution phase, Mr. Gebremariam brings crucial capabilities required for Air India’s next leg of journey. He has strong experience in expanding international long-haul networks and building world-class hub operations, an unrelenting commitment to safety standards, engineering quality, and operational reliability. He also has a track record of driving sustained profitability.  while navigating complex economic cycles and dynamic global markets together with a deep experience in workforce upskilling, talent development, and embedding a high-performance, customer-first service culture.

N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, said: "On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Tewolde to Air India. Having completed the initial phase of stabilization, integration, and fleet commitments under Campbell's guidance, Air India is now entering a critical execution and expansion era. Tewolde’s track record in building one of the world's most efficient and profitable airline groups makes him uniquely suited to lead Air India. His operational expertise, commitment to safety, and vision for hub development will be instrumental as we establish Air India as a premier global carrier and a source of national pride."

Tewolde Gebremariam, Incoming CEO & Managing Director, said: "It is a profound honour to be entrusted with leading Air India at such a historic moment in its journey. Air India carries an incredible legacy, and the opportunity to build a world-class global airline that reflects India’s extraordinary economic potential is uniquely exciting. I look forward to working closely with Chairman Chandrasekaran, the Board, our employees, and all government and industry partners to deliver exceptional operational reliability, warm Indian hospitality, and sustained long-term growth."

This leadership transition reinforces Air India’s alignment with national priorities and stakeholder expectations. Air India remains steadfastly committed to supporting India’s civil aviation ambitions and national economic vision. Under Mr. Gebremariam’s leadership, Air India will work closely with civil aviation authorities and regulators to strengthen India’s position as a premier global aviation hub, enhance international connectivity, and maintain the highest benchmarks of aviation safety and compliance.

People are the backbone of this transformation. Mr. Gebremariam’s leadership philosophy places people at the centre of organizational success. Employees across all divisions—flight crew, ground operations, engineering, and corporate—can look forward to a continued emphasis on training, exciting career pathways, and an empowering work environment built on merit, accountability, and pride in our national carrier.

Air India belongs to India and represents India to the world and is committed to building a reliable, warm, and world-class airline that every Indian can be immensely proud of. Passengers will see an accelerated push toward on-time performance, modern aircraft cabins, elevated hospitality, and seamless global connectivity.

The Board also thanked Campbell Wilson for his leadership over the past phase of Air India’s revitalization. He successfully oversaw complex merger and integration processes, initiated massive fleet modernization programs, established new corporate governance standards, and laid the foundations that were necessary for the future.

With a solid foundation now in place, Air India enters its next era with clear strategic clarity, robust capital backing, and world-class leadership at the helm. The Board is fully confident that under Tewolde Gebremariam, Air India will realize its full potential as a premier global aviation power

Fairfest Media Appoints Simon Press as Managing Director, International to Accelerate Global Expansion and Scale WTE Miami

Mumbai / Miami, May , 2026: Fairfest Media, one of Asia's leading trade show organisers, today announced the appointment of Simon Press as Managing Director – International, marking a significant milestone in the company's global growth strategy following its recent acquisition of WTE Miami.

In this newly created role, Simon will lead Fairfest's international portfolio — driving WTE Miami’s growth into a leading global travel trade event, while also playing a key role in bringing high-potential international event IPs into India, one of the world's fastest-growing exhibition markets.
Simon brings over two decades of experience in launching, scaling, and managing large-scale international exhibitions and B2B media brands across Europe and the Middle East. Most recently, he led a portfolio of leading European technology events. Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles at globally recognised travel industry exhibitions, overseeing strategy, growth, and international partnerships across multiple markets.
Commenting on the appointment, Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman & CEO of Fairfest Media, said: "Simon's appointment comes at a pivotal moment for Fairfest as we expand our global footprint. His extensive experience in leading world-class exhibitions and building global platforms aligns perfectly with our vision. We are confident that under his leadership, WTE Miami will scale rapidly — and I am equally excited about the new opportunities we will unlock together to bring world-class shows to India."
Simon Press said: "Fairfest has built a remarkable reputation as a leading trade show organiser in Asia, and the acquisition of WTE Miami creates a compelling global platform to build on. I look forward to growing WTE Miami into a truly global event and exploring new opportunities to connect international markets with India's rapidly expanding exhibition ecosystem."

With Simon’s appointment, Fairfest accelerates its presence across the United States, Europe, and Asia. The company is actively engaging with global event organisers for co-development and co-investment in high-potential event IPs in India, leveraging its deep local expertise, extensive industry network, and four decades of experience in the market. Interested partners are invited to connect with Fairfest Media.

Ebix Group Announces Arun Batra as Managing Director of Ebix Travels

The Group strengthens travel leadership to drive growth and integration

National, 2026: Ebix Group announced the appointment of Arun Batra as Managing Director of Ebix Travels, strengthening leadership across its travel and mobility portfolio as the Group sharpens focus on growth, integration, and execution. In his role as Managing Director, Batra will lead Ebix’s travel and mobility businesses across domestic and international markets, with accountability for overall performance, governance, and long-term value creation. His mandate includes strengthening alignment across Ebix’s travel businesses, deepening partnerships, and refining customer offerings as the Group builds a more integrated and execution-driven travel platform.

With over three decades of leadership experience across fintech, telecommunications, retail, media, and services, Batra brings a strong track record of scaling businesses, building distribution networks, and leading large-scale operations in complex, competitive environments. He has previously held senior leadership and CXO roles at HCL, Vodafone, Brightstar Corporation (USA), Reliance Infocomm, Zee Networks, and Matrix Cellular.

Commenting on the leadership announcement, Dr. Vikas Garg, Chairman of Eraaya Lifespaces Limited & Ebix Group, said, “Ebix Travels is a strategic growth engine for the Group, spanning multiple travel formats, geographies, and customer segments. Arun’s expertise reflects our intent to strengthen leadership accountability and decision-making as we build a more integrated and execution-focused travel business.”

Arun Batra said, “As the travel industry continues to evolve, our ability to build strong teams and deliver consistently customer-focused solutions will be critical to sustained growth. I look forward to working closely with our partners and teams across geographies to strengthen execution, drive innovation, and build a future-ready travel business that creates long-term value for customers, partners, and the organization.”

Ebix Travels operates across corporate travel management, MICE, luxury rail journeys, destination management services, and technology-enabled travel platforms. The business serves a wide spectrum of customer segments across multiple geographies and remains a key pillar of Ebix Group’s growth strategy in travel and mobility.