New Delhi: Tewolde Gebremariam, who is set to take over the reins of Air India next month, held meetings with senior airline executives this week during his first visit to India after being appointed as CEO and MD, according to officials.

Gebremariam, an aviation industry veteran and former chief of Ethiopian Airlines Group, will take over from Campbell Wilson as the CEO and MD.

The officials said Gebremariam visited the national capital and Mumbai and held meetings with senior executives of the airline and Tata Group.

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He will be taking charge of the Tata Group-owned airline at a time when it is working on ambitious expansion plans amid multiple external headwinds.

On August 5, Air India announced the appointment of Gebremariam after a comprehensive search, overseen by a dedicated board committee.

He comes with nearly four decades of experience at Ethiopian Airlines Group, including as its CEO for over 11 years. Currently, he is serving as a Senior Strategic Advisor to Delta Airlines, as well as the IFC/ World Bank Group.

Tata Group took over Air India from the government in January 2022, and later Singapore Airlines acquired a 25.1 per cent stake in the airline.

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Earlier this week, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said he would step down when his current term ends on February 20, 2027.

Chandrasekaran is also the Chairman of Air India.