Air India Clears ₹17.74 Crore Payout for Outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson

Air India has approved a ₹17.74 crore cash payout for outgoing chief executive officer and managing director Campbell Wilson as the airline prepares for a change at the top. 

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The payout includes ₹15.24 crore in place of shares Wilson was entitled to receive under Air India’s long-term incentive plan for FY23 to FY25. A further ₹2.5 crore has been approved as a one-time reward for his performance in FY25. 

The arrangement received shareholder approval from Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines at Air India’s annual general meeting on August 10. However, the report said there is no clarity yet on whether the amount has actually been paid to Wilson. 

Why Air India approved the ₹17.74 crore payout 

Under Wilson’s original compensation structure, half of his long-term incentive was to be paid through shares. 

Air India’s board, following a recommendation from its nomination and remuneration committee, approved replacing the share component with cash on May 7. The board also cleared the separate ₹2.5 crore one-time reward. 

Since this arrangement differed from the remuneration terms previously approved for Wilson, shareholder approval was sought at the August AGM. 

Air India’s nomination and remuneration committee comprises Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran and independent directors Alice Vaidyan and P R Ramesh. 

Wilson’s compensation changed during his tenure 

Wilson joined the position of CEO and MD at Air India in July 2022 following the takeover of the airline by the Tata Group from the government. 

His basic remuneration package was set at ₹21.5 crore per year for the period of three years. This consisted of ₹8.5 crore as fixed pay and ₹6.5 crore each as annual bonus and as incentive payment. 

His remuneration was reviewed from April 2025 and it can go up to ₹27.75 crore per year. 

This will consist of ₹11.1 crore as fixed pay and approximately ₹8.32 crore as performance-linked annual bonus and as incentive payments respectively. 

Air India’s FY26 losses more than double 

The pay-out is in the wake of a financially challenging year for Air India. 

Its consolidated turnover saw a drop to ₹71,870 crore in FY26 from ₹78,636 crore in the previous year. On the other hand, the consolidated loss has more than doubled to ₹22,238 crore from ₹10,859 crore in FY25. 

The consolidated figures are inclusive of Air India Express. 

In view of Wilson’s leadership span, Air India’s consolidated turnover has increased from ₹20,161 crore in FY22 to ₹71,870 crore in FY26. Meanwhile, consolidated losses have widened from ₹9,661 crore to ₹22,238 crore. 

Air India has highlighted in its FY26 annual report that long haul operations of Air India have been hampered by airspace shutdowns, geopolitics, US visa and tariff barriers, higher flight duration and payload constraints. 

Number of passengers has also decreased from 43.8 million in FY25 to 36 million in FY26. 

Aircraft orders expanded under Wilson 

Wilson’s tenure also saw Air India place orders for 600 aircraft as part of its fleet expansion. 

That included the airline’s landmark 2023 order for 470 aircraft — 250 from Airbus and 220 from Boeing. 

Air India moves to new leadership 

Air India announced Wilson’s resignation on April 7, 2026, bringing his four-year tenure at the airline towards a close. 

The airline subsequently named former Ethiopian Airlines Group chief Tewolde Gebremariam as its new CEO and managing director on August 5. 

The ₹17.74 crore payout therefore comes as Air India closes one leadership chapter and moves into another, while continuing to manage a significantly larger operation alongside substantial financial losses.