Air India chief executive Campbell Wilson has announced his resignation from the carrier, ending a difficult tenure overshadowed by the crash of a Boeing 787 in June last year. Wilson joined Air India in 2022 following the airline’s acquisition by Tata Group, tasked with transforming its fleet, business structure and working practices so it could compete more effectively at home and on international routes. Air India says Wilson has "conveyed his intention to step down" in 2026 and has since been working to "ensure the organisation and leadership team is on a stable footing for the transition". He will remain in the role until his successor is announced and in place. Wilson was formerly head of Singapore-based low-cost carrier Scoot. During a UK Aviation Club lunch speech in December 2024, he described arriving at an airline in "terminal decline", afflicted by mismanagement and hopelessly outdated working practices. On taking the helm, he found that around a third of the fleet was grounded, with aircraft being cannibalised for parts the airline could not afford to buy. Revenue management was still being handled on paper, while the cabin crew training centre in Mumbai was infested with snakes. During his tenure, Air India merged four smaller airlines into the group and undertook a sweeping overhaul of its leadership team, workforce, culture and ways of operating. This included the modernisation of systems, the launch of new products, the introduction of upgraded service standards on the ground and in the air, and the addition of around 100 aircraft to the fleet. However, his tenure was marked by the crash in June 2025 of a 787-8 shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. The exact circumstances of the accident have yet to be determined. Air India was subsequently hit by the closure of Pakistani airspace and conflicts in the Middle East, which severely restricted its ability to operate westbound services to Europe and North America. Unexpectedly steep US tariffs on India and a crackdown on key visas also weighed on demand. These factors led Wilson to describe 2025 as an "exceptionally difficult" year for the carrier. Nevertheless, his tenure has established the "foundational blocks" for a rejuvenated Air India, Wilson said, ahead of the first deliveries from a nearly 600-strong aircraft orderbook from 2027. "Given this, the time is right for me to hand over the reins for the next phase of Air India’s rise," he added. His departure means both of India’s largest airlines are now undergoing leadership changes. Pieter Elbers, chief executive of rival IndiGo, announced his resignation with immediate effect on 10 March and is set to be replaced by IATA director general and former IAG chief Willie Walsh by early August.

Steven Greenway has resigned from his position as chief executive of Saudi low-cost carrier Flyadeal with immediate effect. Greenway disclosed the move via a LinkedIn post on 2 April and said he would remain at the airline as an advisor until the end of this year, to support Sanjiv Kapoor as interim chief. Kapoor has been executive vice-president for strategies, transformation and sustainability at Flyadeal parent Saudia since 2023. Prior to that, he was chief executive designate at Indian carrier Jet Airways. Greenway had led Flyadeal since 2024, overseeing the carrier’s transformation from a small player with around 30 aircraft serving mostly the Saudi domestic market into a significant presence in the wider region. That was part of a strategy to triple the carrier's fleet by 2030, including the planned introduction of Airbus A330neos next year to serve long-haul routes to Europe and Asia-Pacific. Greenway describes his achievements at Flyadeal as turning it into "one of the region's most adept, reliable and fast-growing low-cost carriers" with new routes, markets and aircraft. "But working @ 1,000% takes its toll," he says, adding: "With the business resilient despite current headwinds, I've made the deliberate choice to step back – and for once, focus on family, friends, and me."

Air France-KLM has become the first company to formally launch a bid for TAP Air Portugal, submitting a non-binding offer to the Portuguese government ahead of a deadline for submissions. Group chief executive Ben Smith cites the flag carrier's main hub at Lisbon plus its "strong brand and unique value proposition" as a rationale behind the bid. "TAP is a natural fit within Air France-KLM’s multi-hub strategy, and our ambition is to strengthen the operations at Lisbon while developing connectivity in other cities across the country including Porto. We look forward to the next steps of the privatisation process," he comments. The non-binding offer was submitted on 2 April, and confirms the group’s "unaltered, strong and continued interest in TAP" it states. Thanks to its geographical position in the southwest corner of Europe, any takeover would see TAP become Air France-KLM’s hub for travel across the south Atlantic to countries such as Brazil, described as a "key market" for both TAP and Air France-KLM, as well as Africa. Smith has previously described the prospect of acquiring TAP’s south Atlantic connections as "extremely powerful for us" as it looks to establish itself on key long-haul routes to growing markets. The Portuguese government has indicated previously that it is seeking a buyer for 44.9% of TAP, which would see the state retain a majority stake for an initial period. 5% of its shares would be reserved for its employees. Air France-KLM notes that integration into the group would connect TAP with its worldwide commercial network, including the "close engagement" with fellow SkyTeam members Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic. "This would help TAP achieve its vision of 'embracing the world'. As TAP and Air France-KLM operate largely complementary networks, Portugal as a whole would enjoy increased air connectivity," the Franco-Dutch group says. It also touts Air France-KLM’s clear framework towards consolidation which, it says, would enable TAP to "fully benefit from a smooth integration into a larger, robust group, with economies of scale and a global reach, strengthening its competitiveness." Any takeover would retain the TAP branding and identity, along with its regional footprint, both key conditions set out by the Portuguese government. A rival bid for TAP is expected to come from Lufthansa Group. On 19 March, chief executive Carsten Spohr described TAP as "the perfect match for us" given its presence over the south Atlantic. Unlike IAG or Air France-KLM, Lufthansa does not have a main hub in the west of Europe, added Spohr, which should alleviate regulators' concerns about the impact on competition. "That's an argument for Lufthansa to have TAP," he said adding that "the antitrust situation is not as bad for us as for our competitors". IAG provided a conditional bid for a stake in TAP in November, although it said that "several terms would need to be addressed” before the company proposed an investment. Press reports have indicated that it may have backed away from a formal bid given its desire to quickly build a majority stake in the carrier, action that may be hampered by the Portuguese government's conditions of sale.