Tata Chairman Addresses AI171 Tragedy, Reveals Fleet-wide Safety Measures

Chandigarh, June 20, 2025: In his first detailed public response to the Air India Flight AI171 crash that claimed 275 lives in Ahmedabad on 12 June, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran has assured that the group will stand by the victims’ families while revealing comprehensive safety measures affecting the carrier’s entire widebody fleet.

Speaking on a TV interview, Mr. Chandrasekaran disclosed that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner involved in the tragedy had an exemplary maintenance record and was commanded by one of Air India’s most experienced pilots.

“This particular aircraft has a clean history,” the chairman stated. The aircraft had undergone its last major check in June 2023, with the next scheduled for December 2025. Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, while the left engine was inspected in April 2025. “Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight,” he emphasised.

Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson, in a communication to customers, provided additional details about the crew. “The flight was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a highly experienced pilot and trainer with over 10,000 hours flying widebody aircraft. First Officer Clive Kunder had over 3,400 hours of flying experience,” Wilson stated, underscoring the experience of the flight crew.

“The DGCA has confirmed that our Boeing 787 fleet and maintenance processes fully meet safety standards,” Mr. Chandrasekaran noted. However, in what Wilson termed “a confidence-building measure,” the airline has elected to continue enhanced pre-flight safety checks on both its Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 fleets.

“At Air India, your safety is our highest priority and always has been since we took over the airline in 2022,” Wilson emphasised, explaining the rationale behind the additional measures that exceed regulatory requirements.

Both black boxes have been recovered from the crash site, and a multinational investigation team, consisting of experts from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, Boeing, GE Aerospace, and the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, is currently analysing the data.

“We, together with the entire aviation industry, await the official investigation report to understand more,” Mr. Chandrasekaran said, cautioning against premature speculation about the accident’s cause.

The conglomerate’s response to the tragedy has been comprehensive. The group has announced a Rs 1 crore compensation for each victim’s family, is committed to covering all medical expenses for the injured, and has pledged financial support for rebuilding the damaged medical hostel. Additionally, plans are underway to establish an ‘AI171 Trust’ that will provide long-term support to the affected families.

“All we can promise is we will be with them and I will be with them,” Mr. Chandrasekaran assured, describing the situation as “heart-wrenching” and expressing deep personal regret that the accident occurred in a Tata-owned airline.

Wilson echoed this sentiment, stating: “We are fully committed to doing all we can to support the families impacted and are also working closely with authorities to understand the cause of this tragedy.”

The Tata Group’s handling of the crisis has drawn praise from business leaders and media commentators. RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka, writing in the Economic Times, noted: “In such moments, leadership is not about strategies or investor calls, but about presence, reassuring staff, comforting families, owning failures, listening with humility and acting with clarity.”

Mr. Chandrasekaran, who led Tata Sons’ re-acquisition of Air India from the government in 2022, invoked the group’s storied legacy during the interview. “I’m a Tata product and have grown up with the values promoted by the Group. I am no JRD, I am no RNT (Ratan Naval Tata). But we all are driven by these values and hope we will conduct ourselves with the character and determination so that everyone can be proud of us.”

The AI171 tragedy and its aftermath pose a significant challenge to Air India’s ongoing transformation under Tata ownership. The operational disruptions and fleet-wide safety reviews come at a time when the airline has been pursuing an aggressive modernisation and expansion strategy aimed at reclaiming its position as a premium global carrier. The commitment to enhanced safety measures, while affecting short-term operations, underscores the group’s prioritisation of passenger safety over commercial considerations.