‘Be precise on costs & remain grounded in reality,' Chandra to Air India employees

NEW DELHI: Amid mounting losses, slower than expected turnaround and challenges compounded by the US-Iran war, Air India and Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran on Friday asked Air India group employees to “be precise on costs and remain grounded in the reality of the situation.”

Addressing a townhall at AI Gurgaon HQ Friday days after airline CEO Campbelll Wilson’s resignation and amid the hunt for his successor, Chandra said: “While our future is bright and we have laid a solid foundation for our ambition, we are going through a challenging time, the impact of which is most visible in the airline industry…. What matters now 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.”

AI is seen to be losing Rs 20,000 crore in FY 2026 due to several factors, including the Ahmedabad crash amid continued concern on the operational front and wide body revamp remaining in the slow lane. Addressing these issues, he said: “Safety is of utmost importance for Air India. It is non-negotiable and sits at the centre of every decision we take across operations, engineering, training and customer experience.”

“Take pride in what is being done, feel proud of yourself, don’t get distracted. Criticism will always be there but take it objectively. Don’t get upset; there is no progress without criticism. If the core message of the criticism is justified, fix it,” he said in no uncertain terms, adding, “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.”

Giving a pep talk to employees, he said: “Air Indians have shown great tenacity in dealing with a perfect storm, and we must continue with the same spirit that has been demonstrated. The Tata Group remains committed to Air India group. The Board is fully supportive and will continue to work closely with the management team.”

“It has been an incredible four years, and Air India group has reached a critical stage of its transformation. Over 17,000 employees have been hired and onboarded, four airlines have been merged into two, core systems are being modernised, the fleet is expanding, aircraft are undergoing major refurbishment, and our network and operational metrics continue to improve, resulting in a clear improvement in customer experience,” he said.

“We remain committed to building a world-class airline. Our vision is to connect India to the world, and to establish service standards where there is as much dignity and respect for the passenger in the last row as there is for the passenger in the front row,” he added.