Air India strengthening internal processes to minimise operational challenges: CEO

Mint

2 days ago

New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) Air India has vigorous and multi-layered safety protocols with every aircraft undergoing thorough checks take-off, its chief Campbell Wilson said on Wednesday as he emphasised that the airline is strengthening internal processes to minimise operational challenges.
On June 12, a London Gatwick-bound Air India's Boeing 737-8 aircraft crashed into a building soon after take-off, killing 260 people. Since then, the Tata Group-owned carrier has carried out various checks on its Boeing 737 and 787 planes.
In recent weeks, some of Air India's flights have either been cancelled or delayed due to technical issues.
Against this backdrop, Wilson, on Wednesday, acknowledged that there have been some operational challenges over the last few weeks that may have impacted the travel experience.
"Rest assured, we take this seriously and we are committed to strengthening our internal processes to minimise the inconvenience that such circumstances cause to you," the Air India CEO and MD said in a message to the customers.
Listing out various steps taken since the fatal crash of AI171 flight, Wilson said detailed inspections of its Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft were done and no issues were found during the inspections.
"As with some other international airlines, we also inspected the fuel control switch mechanism of Boeing 737 and 787-8 aircraft, likewise with no findings," he noted.
Last month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), during an audit, came across around 100 violations and observations related to Air India's training, crew's rest and duty period norms, and airfield qualification.
Referring to the audit findings, Wilson said the audits are part of the aviation industry's process of continuous improvement and, "as the DGCA stated in a recent communique, Air India's recent results are 'entirely normal' for an airline of our scale and scope".
The airline, as part of 'safety pause', has temporarily cut its schedule to accommodate additional pre-flight checks and mitigate the impact of regional airspace closures.
"We also took the opportunity of additional ground time to accelerate upgrades to improve aircraft reliability and to strengthen how we manage delays and disruptions," Wilson said and stressed the airline's safety protocols are rigorous and multi-layered, with every aircraft undergoing thorough checks before take-off by trained engineers and pilots.
"Maintenance is conducted at certified facilities before and between flights. Our pilots, cabin crew, and engineers train regularly at the Air India Training Academy, ensuring full alignment with the latest safety procedures and global best practices and our Integrated Operations Control Centre tracks every flight in real time, monitoring weather, crew, and aircraft performance," he said.
The carrier expects to fully resume international operations from October 1 and the phased restoration commenced from August 1.
Wilson has sent a message to the members of Air India's loyalty programme, Maharaja Club.