Air India Faces Turbulent Times, Chandrasekaran Urges Focus on Execution

"While our future is bright and we have laid a solid foundation for our ambition, we are going through a challenging time," Chandrasekaran said, adding that the key "is staying focused on execution."

"Our focus should be on what is within our control, where we can improve, be precise on costs and remain grounded in the reality of the situation," he added.

Chandrasekaran stressed that safety is of "utmost importance and non-negotiable" for Air India, central to decisions across operations, engineering, training and customer experience.

"Work together, keep the customer in mind. The journey has just begun, and we have a long way to go. Keep at it. We will get there," Chandrasekaran said.

Chandrasekaran's comments come amid leadership and operational changes in airlines with Chief Executive Campbell Wilson announcing his intention to step down in 2026. The Tata-owned carrier informed that Campbell will stay in the role until his successor is in place.

Air India fell under intense regulatory scrutiny since the June 2025 crash of a Boeing 787 near Ahmedabad, which killed 260 individuals.

Subsequent reports said that Air India was reprimanded for safety lapses, including flying an aircraft multiple times without a valid airworthiness certificate and without proper emergency equipment checks.

Amid the US-Iran war, Air India had cancelled around 2,500 flights to West Asia over three weeks, only running 30 per cent of its normal Middle East schedule.

Pilot body Airlines Pilots' Association of India (ALPA) in March urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to initiate a thorough inquiry into the decision-making processes within Air India, particularly the roles of the Vice President - Operations and the Crew Scheduling Department.

- IANS