Air India brings back ex-CMD Pradeep Kharola amid CEO transition plan

Air India has brought back former chairman and managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola to its senior management team, signalling the start of a planned leadership transition as chief executive Campbell Wilson approaches the end of his tenure.

In a message to employees on Monday evening, Wilson announced that Kharola would join the airline with immediate effect as "executive advisor to the chairman” and “become a full member of Air India's management committee”.

Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran is also the chairman of Air India.

Kharola returns to Air India after a long career in public service. He previously served as the airline's chairman and managing director between 2017 and 2019 before moving on to become secretary in the ministry of civil aviation. In that role, he was closely involved in the government's efforts to privatize the national carrier, a process that culminated in the Tata Group's acquisition of Air India in 2022.

The Economic Times had reported the appointment of Kharola on 17 February.

"Pradip is no stranger to Air India," Wilson said in the note, adding that Kharola's experience would be valuable to the airline as it navigates a leadership transition.

“With my tenure in its final months, his experience will be invaluable in ensuring a smooth leadership transition to a new CEO,” said Wilson in his message.

Air India did not immediately respond to Mint’s query on Kharola’s appointment.

Kharola's appointment comes at a crucial time for Air India. The Tata Group-owned airline is in the middle of a major fleet refurbishment programme and is also searching for a new chief executive. Wilson, who resigned in March, is currently serving his notice period and is expected to leave in September.

The airline is also facing financial challenges. Air India is estimated to have reported a loss of nearly $3 billion in FY26, hurt by foreign exchange losses, airspace disruptions and higher fuel costs, Mint reported earlier.

Air India is currently the largest loss-making entity in the Tata group.

Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines, which owns a 25.1% stake in Air India, has taken a more active role in the airline's operations. Several executives from the Singapore carrier have moved into senior positions at Air India. These include Jeremy Yew, who oversees engineering and maintenance, and chief operations officer Captain Basil Kwauk, both of whom previously worked at Singapore Airlines.

The appointment at Air India follows the appointment of former British Airways chief executive officer William Walsh as the new CEO of IndiGo, the country's largest carrier. Walsh is to join the Gurugram-based airline in August. IndiGo also appointed former Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh as its chief strategy officer.

Dipali Banka is a Mumbai-based journalist who treats corporate reporting less like a beat and more like a puzzle to be solved. This invariably means she has to read through annual reports and speak with leaders and analysts. She tracks policies, deals, and the pulse of industries spanning metals, mining, paints, and cement, alongside aviation. She started out as an intern at The Statesman and then completed her postgraduate diploma in journalism from Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, in 2025. Relentlessly curious at heart, Dipali is driven by the simple urge to understand how things work and who they impact. Armed with an enduring fascination for steel and aeroplanes, she moves through the churn of daily news with focus, turning complexity into clarity without losing the story. She is particularly committed to shaping numbers into objective narratives, having little appetite for vagueness that gets in her way.<br><br>Outside the newsroom, Dipali is an unapologetically loud presence who values long conversations and longer walks to unwind. She devours books of all kinds and can often be found indulging in the lyrical sway of contemporary ghazals. She ardently believes that her relationship with her bylines is more sacred than it would ever be with anyone across the human race.

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