Tata Group chairman N. Chandrasekaran 'apologises' for Ahmedabad Air India plane crash
Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) “apologised” for the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last week that
Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) “apologised” for the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last week that claimed more than 270 lives. In an interview with a news channel, Mr. 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.” Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran to step down in February 2027 “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,” Mr. Chandrasekaran was quoted as saying in a release. 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. When specifically asked about the reason for the crash and whether Air India is privy to any preliminary findings, Mr. 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 government has also appointed a high-level 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,” Mr. Chandrasekaran said. “There are a lot of speculations and a lot of theories. But the fact that I know so far is that this particular aircraft, this specific 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 is 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, Mr. 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.
The BriefWire