AIR INDIA CEO Campbell Wilson is stepping down as chair of Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost subsidiary. He will be replaced by Nipun Aggarwal, Air India’s chief commercial officer, according to an internal memo sent on Tuesday.
Wilson will also step down from the board of Air India Express. Basil Kwauk, Air India’s chief operating officer, will take his place.
Both Aggarwal and Kwauk will continue in their current roles at Air India, the memo showed.
The leadership changes come as Air India continues its multi-billion dollar restructuring under the Tata Group, which took over the airline two years ago.
As part of the turnaround strategy, the group has consolidated four airlines into two brands — full-service Air India and low-cost Air India Express, which merged with AirAsia India last year.
"With this structural work largely complete, the task at hand now to fully leverage and optimize the Group fleet, network, sales, distribution and loyalty assets," Wilson said in the memo seen by Reuters and confirmed by an Air India Express spokesperson.
Aggarwal joined Air India in January 2022 after playing a key role in the acquisition of the airline by the Tata Group.
Since then, he has overseen aircraft acquisition, financing, and strategy. Reuters reported last month that Air India is considering a large order for widebody aircraft.
Jet delivery delays have affected the airline’s restructuring plan. The delays have led Air India to operate older aircraft for longer than planned, increasing maintenance costs and affecting the pace of fleet renewal and expansion, even as demand for air travel continues to rise.
After Bloomberg News reported that China has told its airlines not to take further deliveries of Boeing aircraft amid ongoing trade tensions, a source told Reuters that Air India may be interested in acquiring aircraft that are rejected by China for use by its low-cost arm. The source said the situation remains fluid.
Air India and Boeing did not respond to requests for comment. Air India Express, which operates as a complementary service to its parent airline, declined to comment.
Air India Express currently has a fleet of over 100 aircraft, including 68 Boeing 737s and 36 Airbus A320s. It plans to add around 15 more aircraft in the current financial year, which began on April 1, with some planes coming from Air India.
(With inputs from Reuters)
