In a significant board-level reshuffle, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has announced his decision to step down as the chairman of budget airline Air India Express, as per an internal message shared with staff on Tuesday. Wilson will be succeeded by Tata Group veteran and Air India chief commercial officer, Nipun Aggarwal.
Wilson, who has been the chairman of Air India Express since June 2022, will also vacate his seat on the airline’s board. His board position will be filled by Air India chief operations officer, Basil Kwauk, after receiving necessary regulatory approvals. In an internal message to employees on Tuesday, Wilson said he believes the time is right to step aside from the Air India Express Board.
Wilson noted that the move is aimed at enhancing coordination across the group’s network and commercial strategies.
Aggarwal is a board member at Air India Express. He will assume the chairmanship while continuing in his role as Air India’s chief commercial officer. At Air India, Aggarwal oversees a wide range of strategic and operational functions, including aircraft acquisition and financing, strategic procurement, network planning, product development, sales and marketing, revenue management, and the Flying Returns loyalty programme. “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,” Wilson said in the message.
Air India Express is a subsidiary of Air India. The restructuring comes a little over six months after the merger of Air India Express and AIX Connect (earlier AirAsia India). Air India Group comprises Air India, which completed the merger of Vistara with itself in November 2024, and Air India Express.