New Delhi: Times Aerospace Events (MESA) announced that Tewolde Gebremariam, Air India’s new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, will be a keynote speaker at the Aviation India and South Asia Exhibition and Summit 2026, taking place in Delhi on 3-4 November.
Gebremariam, who was named as Air India’s CEO in early August, is a leader with a proven record of managing mega-scale airline turnarounds, delivering operational excellence, fostering a strong culture of safety and service, and driving profitable expansion.
Tewolde Gebremariam is widely recognised as one of the most successful aviation chief executives. During his decade-plus tenure as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, he spearheaded a multi-billion-dollar expansion, transforming a regional carrier into Africa’s largest, most profitable, and decorated airline group – growing revenue by more than fourfold and fleet size nearly threefold.
“We are honoured to have the opportunity at Aviation India 2026 to conduct the first on-stage interview with Gebremariam just two months after he took office and three months since his appointment was announced,” said Mark Pilling, Conference Director for Aviation India.
When his appointment was announced, Gebremariam, had said: “It is a profound honour to be entrusted with leading Air India at such a historic moment in its journey. Air India carries an incredible legacy, and the opportunity to build a world-class global airline that reflects India’s extraordinary economic potential is uniquely exciting.”
At the time of his appointment Air India noted: his unique strength lies in managing complex operational landscapes, driving cultural transformation, building competitive global hubs, and developing world-class MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) and aviation training infrastructure.
As Air India shifts from its foundational turnaround phase into a high growth and profitable execution phase, Gebremariam brings crucial capabilities required for Air India’s next leg of journey. He has strong experience in expanding international long-haul networks and building world-class hub operations, an unrelenting commitment to safety standards, engineering quality, and operational reliability.
He also has a track record of driving sustained profitability, while navigating complex economic cycles and dynamic global markets together with a deep experience in workforce upskilling, talent development, and embedding a high-performance, customer-first service culture.
Over the course of his career, Gebremariam has held several leadership positions within the global aviation industry. He has served on the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for several years, been a member of the Chief Executive Board of Star Alliance, served on the Board of Directors of SITA, and held leadership roles with several aviation, tourism and infrastructure organisations.
Gebremariam joined Ethiopian Airlines in 1985 and rose through the organisation from operational roles in cargo and airport services to regional leadership positions in India, Saudi Arabia and North America, before serving as Chief Operating Officer and subsequently Group Chief Executive Officer. His extensive international experience includes a posting in Mumbai, where he led Ethiopian Airlines’ business across India and South-East Asia.
To hear Gebremariam’s take on his time at Air India so far and his thinking on the airline group’s future come to Aviation India 2026. Aviation INDIA Summit & Exhibition takes please November 3-4, JW Mariott Hotel, Aerocity, New Delhi.
Aviation India 2026 builds on the formula of the successful Times Aerospace Aviation Events held in Africa, which began in Dubai in 2015 and continued annually in Rwanda, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Africa and most recently in Kenya.
