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India Today
11 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Soul of every journey: Air India pays tribute to members lost in Ahmedabad crash
In an earnest homage, Air India remembered its ten crew members who died in the Air India flight AI 171 crash on June 12. Air India posted a message on its official handle on social media platform X: 'With hearts full of sorrow, we remember the cabin crew members we lost - beloved colleagues, cherished friends, and the soul of every journey they were a part of.'advertisementThe condolence statement was issued by Air India and the Tata Group eight days after the tragedy that claimed 274 lives. On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London, carrying 242 people, crashed into a medical college hostel just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad airport at approximately 1:35 'they were family', the messaged remembered the cabin crew members: Aparna Amol Mahadik, Shradha Mahadev Dhavan, Deepak Balasaheb Pathak, Irfan Samir Shaikh, Lamnunthem Singson, Maithili Patil, Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, Saineeta Abin Chakravarti, Manisha Thapa, and Roshni Rajendra Songhare. 'You flew with compassion. You will be remembered with love,' the message read after naming each of the 10 deceased staff Group and Air India mourned the loss of its cabin crew members and honoured the crew's personal and professional contributions. The statement on its social media handle X comes a day after N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, said he deeply regretted the accident. 'It is an extremely difficult situation where I have no words to express to console any of the families of those who died. I deeply regret that this accident happened in a Tata-run airline. And I feel very sorry,' he also announced plans to create an 'AI-171 Trust' to provide long-term support, including financial and other needs, to the affected families.A day after the crash, Chandrasekharan in a letter to Tata Group employees called June 12 'one of the darkest days in the group's history.''What occurred yesterday was inexplicable... to lose so many at once is incomprehensible,' he the aftermath of one of the deadliest air disasters India has seen, Air India will cut wide-body international flights by 15 per cent until mid-July due to stricter DGCA checks and Iranian airspace closures. Meanwhile, the aviation ministry has set a 60-day deadline for owners to report illegal structures near airports before demolition.
The Print
a day ago
- General
- The Print
Tata Group chairman Chandrasekaran ‘apologises' for Ahmedabad AI plane crash
Over 270 people were killed on June 12 when a London-bound Air India plane — a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — carrying 242 passengers and crew crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad and crashed less than a minute after takeoff. In an exclusive interview with the Group Editor-in-Chief of Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, Navika Kumar, Chandrasekaran said, 'It is an extremely difficult situation where I have no words to express to console any of the families of those who died.' 'I deeply regret that this accident happened in a Tata-run airline. And I feel very sorry. All we can do is to be with the families at this time, grieve with them and we will do everything to support them at this hour and beyond,' Chandrasekran was quoted as saying in a release. Mumbai, Jun 18 (PTI) Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran on Wednesday 'apologised' for the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last week that claimed more than 270 lives. When specifically asked about the reason for the crash and whether Air India is privy to any preliminary findings, Chandrasekaran said, 'One would have to wait for the probe to conclude.' The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has begun its investigations into the crash, and the DGCA has also appointed a committee. Chandrasekaran said that it could be a month until some of the preliminary findings are out. He, however, claimed that AI171, the flight that crashed, had a clean history and there were no red flags that had been raised. 'There are speculations about human error, speculations about airlines, speculations about engines, maintenance, all kinds,' Chandrasekaran said. 'There are a lot of speculations and lot of theories. But the fact that I know so far is this particular aircraft, this specifical tail, AI-171 has a clean history. As for the engines, the right engine was a new engine put in March 2025. The left engine was last serviced in 2023 and due for its next maintenance check in December 2025. Both engine histories are clean. 'Both pilots were exceptional. Captain Sabharwal had more than 11,500 hours of flying experience, the first officer Clive (Kundar) had more than 3400 hours of flying experience. What I hear from colleagues is that they were excellent pilots and great professionals. So, we can't jump to any conclusions. I am told by all the experts that the black box and recorders will definitely tell the story. So, we just have to wait for that,' he said. When asked about the show-cause notices that had been issued by the DGCA in the recent past to Air India or fines levied on the airline for delays and operational matters, Chandrasekaran said these were not related to the AI171 aircraft. 'These are different from safety issues. If there is a safety issue, there is no way the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) will allow us to fly. And with respect to this specific aircraft, what I have seen is what I have told you.' Chandrasekaran also said that none of the 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners that are part of Air India's fleet are serviced by Turkish Technic, amid questions being raised about any Turkish link to the aircraft that crashed. 'None of them (the 33 Dreamliners) are maintained by Turkish Technic. Most of them are maintained by AIESL (AI Engineering Services Limited) or SIA Engineering Company (whose parent organization is Singapore Airlines),' he said. The former union minister for civil aviation Praful Patel has questioned the 'silence' of Singapore Airlines, which he said, apart from being a shareholder in Air India, was also responsible for maintaining a significant number of Air India's wide-body aircraft. Chandrasekaran, in the interview, responded to Patel's claims, stating, 'Singapore Airlines has been a great partner. And since we took over, they have helped us in many dimensions. Even some of the safety procedures, the best processes, we have taken from Singapore Airlines. 'We have taken it from Vistara, and many of the processes where we needed best-in-class benchmarks, they have helped us. They have reached out even at this time, their CEO is in constant touch with me. Whether it is customer experience or any other process, they are always available. They have been offering all the help they can.' Chandrasekaran was also asked about whistleblowers who had spoken out against Boeing, specifically in the context of the manufacturing processes associated with the production of the 787 Dreamliner. The Air India Chairman responded by saying, 'These are things that are being dealt with by investigative agencies in the US, but overall 787s have been flying for a very long time, we already had 27 787s by the time we bought Air India. And we have not had any red flags in our checks,' according to the release. Since the June 12 tragedy, several Air India flights have been cancelled, or faced delays, raising serious concerns among passengers. Chandrasekaran acknowledged Air India needs to do a better job communicating with passengers about these matters. 'There are more than 1100 flights that we fly every day. And in the last six days, there have been in general, anywhere from 5 to 16 or 18 flights, depending on the day, that have been cancelled.' 'We've got to do a better job at communication. We have put a strategic communications team in the last three days,' Chandrasekaran said. Chandrasekhar has met with senior officials of Boeing following the tragedy. He said: 'So I did connect with both Boeing and GE at the highest levels. Parallel to the DGCA checks that we have gone through, I have asked them to check and tell us if there have been issues with any of the aircraft or engines,' the release said. PTI IAS RKL MR MR This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Air India crash: N Chandrasekaran makes important statement; says AI 171 Boeing 787 Dreamliner had ‘new engine', ‘clean history' & ‘no red flags'
Air India crash: N Chandrasekaran makes important statement (Picture credit: AP, ANI) Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran has expressed deep sorrow over the Air India AI-171 Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad that claimed over 270 lives. Chandrasekaran has revealed plans to create a dedicated 'AI-171 Trust' to support affected families. 'It's not just about financial support, but long-term care. We're putting together a structure to remain with these families,' he said. In his first public comments since the June 12 tragedy, Chandrasekaran in an interview to a TV channel said, 'It is an extremely difficult situation where I have no words to express to console any of the families of those who died. I deeply regret that this accident happened in a Tata-run airline.' In the interview, Chandrasekaran said Tata would "grieve with the families" and promised full support. 'We will do everything to support them at this hour and beyond,' he added. Also read: After 12/6, demand for Air India's 787s crashes Were the AI 171 Boeing 787-8 engines faulty? On the cause of the crash, Chandrasekaran said it was too early to speculate. He confirmed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and DGCA had launched formal inquiries and that preliminary findings may take a month. 'There are speculations about human error, engines, maintenance… but AI-171 had a clean history,' he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's A List Of Cheapest Steel Suppliers (See List) Steel Suppliers | search ads Search Now Undo The right engine had been replaced in March 2025 and the left was last serviced in 2023, due for a check only in December. Chandrasekaran confirmed that there had been no previous safety issues identified. "There were no red flags or maintenance issues," Chandrasekaran said. "Never been safety concerns raised, Dreamliners have been operating for a long time." He emphasised that the aircraft had maintained a clean safety record throughout its operational history. Defending the crew, he said that they were 'exceptional pilots.' 'What I hear from colleagues is that they were excellent pilots and great professionals. So, we can't jump to any conclusions. I am told by all the experts that the black box and recorders will definitely tell the story. So, we just have to wait for that,' he said. Also read: Black box of 787 Dreamliner to be sent to US for data recovery; 'recorders sustained heavy damage…' Asked about the absence of Air India representatives at crew funerals, Chandrasekaran dismissed the criticism. 'Our COO, CHR and other top officials were present across locations. We will visit every family. It's not for publicity,' he said. Responding to questions on Boeing 787s maintenance, Chandrasekaran said that none of Air India's 33 Dreamliners were maintained by Turkish Technic. Most, he said, are serviced by AIESL or SIA Engineering. Regarding the broader Boeing 787 controversy, especially in light of US whistleblower claims, Chandrasekaran said investigations were ongoing in the US, but Air India had seen no red flags. Also read: Air India to reduce international widebody aircraft operations by 15%; Dreamliner safety checks under way He also acknowledged the recent spike in flight cancellations and delays. 'After June 12, the DGCA mandated checks for all 787s. We've completed checks on 24 of 33 aircraft,' he said. Conflict over Iran has also disrupted flight paths. 'Flights had to be rerouted, leading to cancellations. Plus, routine technical checks also contribute,' he explained, adding that Air India must improve its passenger communication. 'A strategic communications team is now in place.' Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
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First Post
2 days ago
- General
- First Post
‘Both engines were in good shape': Tata Sons chief Chandrasekaran says doomed AI plane had no ‘red flags'
Calling the situation 'extremely difficult', Tata Sons and Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran urged speculators to wait for the black box analysis to know the full truth read more People near the debris of the Air India plane that crashed moments after taking off from the airport, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Thursday, June 12, 2025. The London-bound plane was carrying 242 passengers. (Photo: PTI Photo) Tata Sons and Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran Wednesday (June 18) asserted that the ill-fated Air India flight AI171 had no prior red flags and both of the aircraft's engines were in good shape. Calling the situation 'extremely difficult', Tata Sons and Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran urged speculators to wait for the black box analysis to know the full truth. On June 12, Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London, crashed into a medical college complex in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff. The flight carried 242 passengers and crew, with 241 fatalities reported onboard and additional casualties on the ground. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'It is an extremely difficult situation where I have no words to express to console any of the families of those who died,' Chandrasekaran said, in an interview with Times Now, and extended apologies over the tragedy. 'I deeply regret that this accident happened in a Tata-run airline. And I feel very sorry. All we can do is to be with the families at this time, grieve with them and we will do everything to support them at this hour and beyond,' Chandrasekaran said in a statement. 'Wait for probe to conclude' N Chandrasekaran was asked about the possible causes that may have led to the plane crash. Responding to the questions, he said, 'One would have to wait for the probe to conclude.' Notably, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is now conducting the investigation into the incident. Additionally, a high-level government committee is also examining the details. According to the reports, the preliminary findings can take a month. Pilots' credentials The Tata Sons and Air India chairman was also asked whether the pilots flying the doomed plane were qualified enough. 'Both pilots were exceptional. Captain Sabharwal had more than 11,500 hours of flying experience, the first officer Clive (Kundar) had more than 3,400 hours of flying experience. What I hear from colleagues is that they were excellent pilots and great professionals. So, we can't jump to any conclusions. I am told by all the experts that the black box and recorders will definitely tell the story. So, we just have to wait for that.' Addressing various theories around the crash, Tata Sons' chairman said, 'There are speculation about human error, speculation about airlines, speculation about engines, maintenance, all kinds.' He emphasised that the aircraft had no history of issues and provided engine details: the right engine was newly installed in March 2025, while the left engine had last been serviced in 2023 and was due for maintenance in December 2025. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
India Gazette
2 days ago
- General
- India Gazette
"Very Sorry": Air India Chairman N Chandrasekharan apologises after AI-171 tragedy
New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, has apologised for the Air India AI-171 tragedy that claimed more than 270 lives after the flight crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. In an exclusive interview with the Group Editor in Chief of Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, Navika Kumar, Chandrasekaran said, 'It is an extremely difficult situation where I have no words to express to console any of the families of those who died. I deeply regret that this accident happened in a Tata-run airline. And I feel very sorry. All we can do is to be with the families at this time, grieve with them, and we will do everything to support them at this hour and beyond.' When asked about the reason for the crash and whether Air India is privy to any preliminary findings, Chandrasekaran said one would have to wait for the probe to conclude. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has begun its investigations into the crash, and the DGCA has also appointed a committee. Chandrasekaran said that it could be a month until some of the preliminary findings are out. He, however, claimed that AI171, the flight that crashed, had a clean history and that no red flags had been raised. 'There are speculations about human error, speculations about airlines, speculations about engines, maintenance, all kinds,' Chandrasekaran said. 'There are a lot of speculations and lot of theories. But the fact that I know so far is this particular aircraft, this specifical tail, AI-171 has a clean history. As for the engines, the right engine was a new engine put in March 2025. The left engine was last serviced in 2023 and due for its next maintenance check in December 2025. Both engine histories are clean. Both pilots were exceptional. Captain Sabharwal had more than 11,500 hours of flying experience, the first officer Clive (Kundar) had more than 3400 hours of flying experience. What I hear from colleagues is that they were excellent pilots and great professionals. So, we can't jump to any conclusions. I am told by all the experts that the black box and recorders will definitely tell the story. So, we just have to wait for that,' he added. Group Editor in Chief of Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, Navika Kumar questioned Chanrasekaram about the show-cause notices that had been issued by the DGCA in the recent past to Air India or fines levied on the airline for delays and operational matters. The Tata Sons Chairman said these were not related to the AI-71 aircraft. 'These are different from safety issues. If there is a safety issue, there is no way the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) will allow us to fly. And with respect to this specific aircraft, what I have seen is what I have told you,' said Tata Sons Chairman. Chandrasekaran also said that none of the 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners that are part of Air India's fleet are serviced by Turkish Technic, amid questions being raised about any Turkish link to the aircraft that crashed. 'None of them (the 33 Dreamliners) are maintained by Turkish Technic. Most of them are maintained by AIESL (AI Engineering Services Limited) or SIA Engineering Company (whose parent organisation is Singapore Airlines),' he added. The former Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Praful Patel, has questioned the 'silence' of Singapore Airlines, which he said, apart from being a shareholder in Air India, was also responsible for maintaining a significant number of Air India's wide-body aircraft. Chandrasekaran, in the interview, responded to Patel's claims, stating, 'Singapore Airlines have been a great partner. And since we took over, they have helped us in many dimensions. Even some of the safety procedures, the best processes, we have taken from Singapore Airlines. We have taken it from Vistara, and many of the processes where we needed best-in-class benchmarks, they have helped us. They have reached out even at this time, their CEO is in constant touch with me. Whether it is customer experience or any other process, they are always available. They have been offering all the help they can.' Chandrasekaran also rejected Praful Patel's claim that the current CEO of Air India, Wilson, was a Singapore Airlines nominee: 'No, CEO is not a nominee of Singapore Airlines. In fact, when the CEO was hired by me, he had to quit Singapore Airlines and join Air India as an employee. And that time, Singapore Airlines did not have a stake. We owned 100% of Air India. And then when the Vistara merger happened, with Singapore Airlines, with Air India, then Singapore Airlines got their 25% stake. So he's not a nominee of Singapore Airlines.' In fact, Chandrasekaran pointed out that 787s had been purchased as part of Air India's fleet even as far back as 2013, almost a decade before the airline was acquired by the Tata group. Chandrasekaran said, '787s were also bought by Air India in 2013. And I think Mr Patel was there at that time. I don't know when he was the minister. But these are things that happened almost 13 years ago.' Patel was civil aviation minister between 2004 and 2011, after which he was appointed Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises until 2014. During the exclusive interview with Navika Kumar, Chandrasekaran was also asked about whistleblowers who had spoken out against Boeing, specifically in the context of the manufacturing processes associated with the production of the 787 Dreamliner. The Air India Chairman responded by saying, 'These are things that are being dealt with by investigative agencies in the US, but overall 787s have been flying for a very long already had 27 787s by the time we bought Air India. And we have not had any red flags in our checks.' Since the June 12 tragedy, several Air India flights have been cancelled, or faced delays, raising serious concerns among passengers. Chandrasekaran acknowledged Air India needs to do a better job communicating with passengers about these matters. 'There are more than 1100 flights that we fly every day. And in the last six days, there have been in general, anywhere from 5 to 16 or 18 flights, depending on the day, that have been cancelled. Second, what has happened in this period of six days, there are three things at work. The first thing is, we have had to go through the DGCA checks. The moment the accident happened on the 12th, DGCA mandated additional checks to be done on all the 787s. So, we have had to ground many 787s and as a result, we are short of aircraft and we have to cancel those flights. That is one cause. 24 of the 33 aircraft have gone through checks. The second reason is that because of the Iran conflict, the airspace there has got closed. Flights, therefore, have had to be diverted. When the flights are diverted, many of the flights get cancelled. The third is technical issues. And when we do, when we take off and land in any destination, you must know that we will be doing line checks. And every now and then, it is common for the line checks to find some spare part to be changed, for instance. This is not the case on every flight, but it does happen.' 'We've got to do a better job at communication. We have put a strategic communications team in the last three days,' he added. Chandrasekhar has met with senior officials of Boeing following the tragedy. He said: 'So I did connect with both Boeing and GE at the highest levels. Parallel to the DGCA checks that we have gone through, I have asked them to check and tell us if there have been issues with any of the aircraft or engines.' In the aftermath of the tragedy, the video statement of the Air India CEO Campbell Wilson drew plenty of criticism on social media, including allegations of plagiarism and a templated response very similar, if not identical, to that of American Airlines CEO Robert Isom following a crash in Washington, DC earlier this year. Chandrasekaran, in response, said: 'Our focus is on addressing the needs of all those affected. But if you look into the spirit of what he said, we should take at this moment the matter that he has conveyed.....I have heard about this [the templated response], I have not analysed it word by word, but this is something we will look into.' Chandrasekhar also responded to criticism over the absence of Air India officials at the funerals of the 12 crew members who died. 'That is not true. We discussed it at length on the day before and who should go for the rights for Captain Sabharwal. The chief operating officer of Air India was there, the CHR was there and few more people were there at different levels. And we as a group will do multiple things. It is not about just being visible in one location. There will be a senior person who will be there in all the locations whether it is our crew member or non-crew member. That is why we have created this whole organisation. Some will be in Mumbai, some will be in Gujarat, some will be in other parts of India. But I don't want to say it for any publicity but we will definitely visit all the families. All the top people will visit all the families.' During the interview, Chandrasekhar admitted that it would be difficult to console the families at this stage, but added, 'So, there are structures we want to put in place. We wish to create an AI 171 trust which will be available to them to look after. But it is not just about financial needs, but other needs too. We have to think through and create the trust and other functioning infrastructure so that we can be with these families.' (ANI)
