New Delhi, April 10 (IANS). Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran told Air India employees on Friday that the airline is going through a difficult phase and all employees should focus on execution and cost discipline.
Chandrasekaran said, “We have a bright future, which is built on a strong foundation. We are currently going through a challenging time where our focus must be on execution.”
He further said, “Our focus should be on things that are within our control, where we can improve, be accurate in terms of costs and be aware of the reality of the situation.”
Chandrasekaran said that for Air India, safety is of paramount importance and non-negotiable, being at the center of all decisions related to operations, engineering, training and customer experience.
“Work together, keep the customer in mind. This journey has just begun and we still have a long way to go. Keep going, we will reach the destination,” he said.
Chandrasekaran’s comments come amid leadership and operational changes at the airline, as Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson has announced he will step down in 2026. The Tata-owned airline said Campbell will remain in the post until his successor is appointed.
Air India had come under intense regulatory scrutiny after a Boeing 787 plane crash near Ahmedabad in June 2025 killed 260 people.
Later reports said Air India was reprimanded for safety lapses, including flying the aircraft several times without a valid airworthiness certificate and without properly checking emergency equipment.
During the US-Iran war, Air India canceled about 2,500 flights to West Asia in three weeks and operated only 30 percent of its normal schedule to the Middle East.
Additionally, pilot organization Airlines Pilots Association of India (ALPA) in March urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to initiate a thorough investigation into the decision-making processes within Air India, particularly the roles of the operations vice president and the crew scheduling department.
–IANS
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