Air India CEO Emphasizes Safety, Excellence

Air India's incoming Chief Executive Officer, Tewolde Gebremariam, addressed employees on Monday, September 7, 2026, outlining his vision for the airline amidst significant challenges and emphasizing safety as the paramount priority. Gebremariam, who officially took operational charge on Monday, urged staff to help "Make Air India Great Again," drawing a parallel to a well-known political slogan. In his first town hall meeting with employees, Gebremariam, formerly the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, stressed that a safety-first culture must be the airline's number one priority. He called for employees to feel empowered to stop operations if something is not right, pledging his support for such a culture. He also highlighted operational excellence, defining it as consistently getting the basics right every day, including on-time departures and arrivals, reliable baggage delivery, and clean aircraft. Customer experience, he noted, is a direct function of this operational excellence. Gebremariam, who has nearly four decades of industry experience, including over 11 years leading Ethiopian Airlines, acknowledged Air India's powerful heritage, strong brand, and enormous potential.