As Air India inches closer to completing its much-talked-about transformation, a fresh shift has taken place at the top of its low-cost subsidiary. CEO and MD Campbell Wilson will no longer chair the board of Air India Express. The responsibility now moves to Basil Kwauk, who is currently serving as chief operations officer of Air India.
Wilson, however, continues as CEO and MD of the parent airline, indicating that while his focus sharpens on the broader group strategy, operational leadership of the budget arm is being realigned.
Air India Express is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India, operating as a low-cost carrier. As the Tata-owned airline continues to merge and simplify its operations post-privatisation, Air India Express is expected to play a more central role in the group’s regional and cost-effective flight strategy.
Adding to the reshuffle, Nipun Aggarwal, Air India’s Chief Commercial Officer, will now take over as chairman of the Air India Express board. He already sits on the board, and this change is likely meant to tighten alignment between the two carriers’ commercial and network strategies.
Aggarwal, a Tata veteran and former senior vice-president at Tata Sons, has played a key role in reshaping several group companies. His past roles also include stints at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Standard Chartered Bank, and BP PLC.
In an internal note to staff, Wilson acknowledged that much of the groundwork for the group’s transformation is now done. This includes consolidating the four airlines into two, bringing non-flying teams under one roof in Gurugram, and refreshing leadership teams.
"With this structural work largely complete, the task at hand now is to fully leverage and optimise the group fleet, network, sales, distribution and loyalty assets," Wilson said in the message.
With the structural changes stabilising, the shift in focus now turns to operational delivery and commercial synergies. Basil Kwauk’s elevation to the board of Air India Express hints at a more hands-on approach in navigating this next phase. While not much is widely known about Kwauk's earlier industry stints, his current role as COO places him at the heart of day-to-day operations.
Wilson added that he would remain actively involved with the progress of Air India Express and continue to steer the broader group’s performance.
