In a significant leadership change within the Tata Group-owned airline sector, Campbell Wilson, the CEO of Air India, has announced his decision to step down as the Chairman of Air India Express. This transition, revealed in an internal memo to staff on April 22, 2025, will see Nipun Aggarwal, currently serving as Air India’s Chief Commercial Officer, take over the chairmanship of the budget airline. Wilson, who has held the position since June 2022, will vacate his seat on the board entirely, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing transformation of the airline group.
The decision comes as Air India navigates a comprehensive restructuring strategy aimed at optimizing its operations and enhancing coordination between its full-service and budget offerings. With the foundational restructuring largely complete, the focus is now on leveraging the airline group’s fleet, network, sales, distribution, and loyalty assets to maximize efficiency.
Wilson, who has played a crucial role in the airline's transformation since the Tata Group acquired Air India and Air India Express from the government in January 2022, emphasized the importance of this leadership change in his memo. He stated, "With this structural work largely complete, the task at hand now is to fully leverage and optimize the Group fleet, network, sales, distribution and loyalty assets." He expressed confidence in Aggarwal’s capabilities, noting that his dual role as Chairman of Air India Express and CCO of Air India would facilitate greater coordination between the two airlines.
Nipun Aggarwal is recognized as a key figure within the Tata Group, having been instrumental in the acquisition of Air India and in shaping the airline's commercial strategies. His appointment as Chairman is seen as a strategic move to ensure seamless operational synergy between Air India and Air India Express.
In addition to Aggarwal’s new role, Captain Basil Kwauk, the Chief Operations Officer of Air India, will join the Air India Express board, taking over Wilson's position after receiving necessary regulatory approvals. This addition is expected to further strengthen the operational leadership at Air India Express.
Wilson’s exit from the board of Air India Express is part of a broader strategy that has already seen significant structural changes over the past 18 months. The Air India Group has successfully merged four airlines into two, consolidating non-flying teams and refreshing leadership across both Air India and Air India Express. The merger of Vistara into Air India in November 2024 and the consolidation of AIX Connect (formerly known as AirAsia India) into Air India Express a month earlier are key milestones in this transformation.
As Air India Express continues to establish itself as a dominant player in the domestic and short-haul international markets, the focus will now shift to enhancing coordination between the two airlines. A senior official from Air India Express remarked that this leadership change reflects the natural progression of the airline's growth plan, which aims to improve communication and collaboration across all functions.
Wilson assured staff that he would remain actively involved in the overall performance of the Air India Group, stating, "I will obviously remain keenly interested in Air India Express’s progress and success, fully support Nipun and Basil in their additional roles, and remain responsible for the overall performance of the Air India Group." His commitment to the airline's success underscores the importance of continuity amid leadership changes.
Air India, currently operating a fleet of around 210 aircraft, has ambitious plans for expansion. The airline aims to increase its fleet size to approximately 400 planes within three years, having placed orders for 570 aircraft over the past two years. However, challenges related to supply chain issues have complicated these plans, causing delays in aircraft deliveries and leading to increased maintenance costs as older jets remain in service longer than anticipated.
During a recent address at the Skift India Forum 2025, Wilson highlighted the ongoing supply chain challenges that the aviation industry faces, noting, "It is going to remain a supply-constrained market for another four to five years." He pointed out that both Boeing and Airbus are experiencing production delays due to difficulties in sourcing components from suppliers, a situation that affects airlines globally.
Despite these challenges, Air India is committed to modernizing its fleet, with a retrofit program for its narrow-body planes already underway and expected to be completed by mid-2024. Following this, the airline will begin retrofitting its wide-body aircraft, with a completion timeline set for 2027.
The leadership changes at Air India Express and the strategic direction outlined by Wilson signal a crucial phase in the airline's evolution. As the group transitions from structural reorganization to commercial optimization, the focus on operational synergies and enhanced coordination between Air India and Air India Express is expected to drive growth and improve service delivery.
As these developments unfold, stakeholders and industry observers will be keenly watching how the new leadership team navigates the challenges ahead and capitalizes on the opportunities presented by a rapidly evolving aviation landscape.
