 "Air India CEO Wilson received a raise days before Ahmedabad plane crash")
Days before the Tata group-owned Air India witnessed one of its worst crashes on an Ahmedabad-to-Gatwick flight, which claimed the lives of over 270 people, its chief executive Campbell Wilson was offered a new salary.
Wilson’s new salary stood at ₹27.75 crore as compared to the ₹18.98 crore he earned in 2023-24, marking a 46 per cent jump, Mint reported. Wilson took charge as Air India’s CEO in July 2022 and was offered a salary of ₹21.50 crore.
According to the report, Wilson’s new remuneration package, which came into effect on April 1, 2025, includes a fixed salary of ₹11.1 crore, ₹8.32 crore in performance-linked bonuses, and ₹8.32 crore in long-term stock incentives. The new remuneration package for Wilson was approved by the Air India board on May 27, 2025.
In its filing, Air India said, “The remuneration of Wilson is commensurate with the remuneration of expatriates appointed at CEO/ MD levels of similar-sized multinationals, taking into consideration the responsibilities shouldered by him.”
It further said, “In addition to the transformation of the flagship airline, Wilson successfully steered the integration of subsidiary airlines, viz. Air India Express and AIX Connect into a single low-cost carrier, and the merger of Tata Sia Airlines (Vistara) with Air India.”
Wilson’s pay tied to airline performance
Wilson’s new remunerative package indicates that 60 per cent of his current salary is linked to the airline’s performance, which has been facing some challenges ever since the Ahmedabad plane crash took place on June 12, 2025. Following the plane crash, which was one of the deadliest crashes India has seen in three decades, several other Air India flights witnessed technical snags and were either returned or had to make emergency landings.
Following the Dreamliner crash, bookings for Air India declined by 20 per cent on domestic and international routes, while the average fares dropped by 8-15 per cent, news agency PTI reported, citing Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) President Ravi Gosain.
Wilson among top-paid airline CEOs
A raise for Campbell Wilson came on the back of the company’s board recognising his efforts to uplift the airline and for managing a series of internal mergers, making his pay among the highest for top airline executives in India.
Domestic carrier IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe, paid its CEO Pieter Elbers ₹21.61 crore in 2024, according to the company’s filing. Elbers was given the charge of IndiGo in September 2022.
In 2024, Akasa Air’s founder and chief executive, Vinay Dubr, received ₹8.65 crore, and SpiceJet’s Chairman and Managing Director, Ajay Singh, received ₹5.4 crore.