Last week, Indian aviation got new bosses. IndiGo named Willie Walsh as CEO. Air India appointed Gebremariam as CEO. Both are foreign-origin executives. Both face the same storm: growth, delays, and public anger.
This is a first. Indian carriers have always been run by Indians. The government cleared both appointments, signaling a shift: competence over nationality.
The challenges are different. IndiGo is profitable but hitting scale limits. Delays, overworked crew, and the 2025 engine crisis hurt its image. Walsh, ex-IAG and IATA chief, brings global network experience. He must now make IndiGo more than a low-cost carrier.
Air India is the opposite. Post-Tata takeover, it’s bleeding money but expanding fast. New planes, new routes, new brand. Gebremariam comes from Ethiopian Airlines — he knows how to turn around a state carrier. He must fix service, integrate 4 airlines, and stop the PR disasters.
Both face Indian realities: infra constraints, DGCA rules, and price-sensitive passengers. A foreign CEO won’t change that. But they bring something India lacks: experience running airlines at 200+ plane scale.
The risk: culture clash. The opportunity: professionalism. If Walsh can make IndiGo premium without losing cost, and Gebremariam can make Air India reliable without losing ambition, Indian aviation finally grows up.
2026-27 will decide. Two airlines. Two leaders. One sky.