After crash, red flags, government & Air India brainstorm on safety
NEW DELHI: Brainstorming is on at the highest levels of the Tata Group and the aviation ministry to put
Air India
back on track after the spate of bad news, led by the June 12 AI 171 crash and regulatory actions in the past few months.
Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran met Union aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu and aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha on Friday after three days of detailed discussions between the airline management (headed by CEO Campbell Wilson) and officials (headed by the secretary) led to concrete suggestions.
"We have discussed all issues threadbare, including those related to maintenance, leadership and communications.
Something positive will come out of this. India needs strong carriers and govt will support airlines wherever needed. The results will hopefully be visible in coming days once the suggestions are implemented," said people in the know.
Chandrasekaran said to have told govt about safety steps taken by AI
One such meeting went on till well after 10 pm earlier this week.
Sources say Chandrasekaran informed govt about steps being taken by the airline after the AI 171 crash and some recent incidents to bolster safety.
"Basically, govt was informed how AI plans to win back flyers' confidence," they said.
It is learnt that the areas identified during the recent meetings for immediate attention include airworthiness, engineering and maintenance. A lack of spares, for instance, often forces aircraft to fly under the "minimum equipment list" (MEL) for a long time. MEL is a list that conditionally allows aircraft to be used with some equipment inoperative, with the condition that the same does not impact safety and that it would be replaced within a certain timeframe.
The main issue, say multiple people involved in the exercise, is of culture. "Vistara was merged into AI last Nov. Ideally, it should have been the other way round. But that is done. Both airlines have a very different culture and AI is now facing post-merger issues. During the meetings, solutions were suggested. The main issue is not operations but about engineering and maintenance," they said.
For some time, having the better-run Singapore Airlines (SIA) - which holds a 25.1% stake in AI, with the rest with the Tatas - play a more visible handholding may be considered.
It's not about the image of AI alone, which has taken a beating, but also of the Maharaja's new promoters: Tatas and SIA.
The focus has to be on ensuring 100% safety, not on growing rapidly. AI has cut flights after the Ahmedabad crash. "The culture has to change to safety first, not just for AI but for all airlines. 'Sacrifice growth, but ensure safety' has to be the firm message across the board," they said.
The example being cited is of Boeing, which went on a rollercoaster ride in recent years, from being a "marvellous organisation once celebrated for engineering excellence" to an airline cutting corners for commercial reasons when it tried to counter competitor Airbus' best-seller A320NEO planes with a hurriedly made B737 MAX. After two MAX crashes in quick succession, Boeing is now trying hard to win back customer airlines' and flyers' faith by again making safe planes.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
22 minutes ago
- Hans India
Google introduces AI Skill Academy in India
New Delhi: Tech giant Google on Monday said that it has launched the Google News Initiative (GNI) AI Skills Academy, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) here. According to the company, the new initiative is aimed at equipping Indian newsrooms with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive in an AI-powered future. "Continuing our commitment to collaborate with news organisations across India and bring them Google's best-in-class technology, we're excited to announce the launch of the Google News Initiative AI Skills Academy in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Department of New Media," the tech giant said in a statement. This will be a 10-week, hybrid training series, which is designed to equip newsrooms and media educators with foundational AI understanding and practical skills. Participants will learn to leverage Google's AI tools like NotebookLM, Gemini, AI Studio and Pinpoint to streamline workflows, boost efficiency, and free up valuable time for deeper and more creative research and in-depth, diverse storytelling. Launched by Google in an academic partnership with IIMC and with training support from How India Lives, this hybrid programme will empower participants to apply AI tools across a range of relevant use-cases. The programme will offer weekly deep dives, practical exercises, dedicated mentoring, and problem-solving sessions. This programme has been curated to provide participants with support to leverage AI to perform newsroom tasks more efficiently. "We're also proud to support IIMC in training media educators and students across its campuses in six cities in India," Google stated. This collaboration is a major step towards empowering media professionals and media educators with essential AI skills. "As AI transforms journalism, this initiative will help them stay ahead. We intend to promote responsible innovation and enhance creativity in storytelling. IIMC is happy to be part of this initiative that will also help train students across our six campuses', said Nimish Rustagi, Registrar, Indian Institute of Mass Communication.
Hans India
22 minutes ago
- Hans India
Trump's AI Tool Targets Massive Federal Regulation Cuts, Sparks Legal and Ethical Debate
In a bold move to reshape the federal regulatory landscape, the Trump administration has turned to artificial intelligence to fast-track its ambitious deregulation agenda. A new report from The Washington Post reveals that a government-deployed AI system, dubbed the DOGE AI Deregulation Decision Tool, is being used to identify and eliminate a sweeping number of federal rules—potentially as many as half of the current 200,000 regulations. The tool is operated under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a body created to modernize and streamline federal operations. So far, the AI has already reviewed and recommended removal of more than 1,000 regulations at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in just two weeks. It's also credited with drafting all recent deregulations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Government insiders told The Post that DOGE AI was developed by a team of engineers recruited during tech billionaire Elon Musk's brief involvement with the agency. According to a presentation reviewed by the publication, DOGE AI is being promoted as a cost-saving solution that could cut bureaucratic red tape, lower compliance costs for businesses, and attract new investment by simplifying the regulatory environment. Agencies across the federal government have been given a deadline of September 1 to submit their lists of regulations to be reviewed—and potentially scrapped—using the AI tool. The Trump administration hopes this initiative will deliver visible results by the first anniversary of Trump's return to office. This AI-driven approach follows Trump's earlier executive order, issued in January, directing federal agencies to eliminate ten existing rules for every new one introduced. Departments like Transportation and Labor have already announced significant rollbacks of existing regulations as part of this push. Despite the technological enthusiasm, the move has drawn mixed reactions across federal agencies. While some departments have embraced DOGE AI's rapid processing capabilities, others are voicing caution. Critics argue that relying on AI to review intricate and legally sensitive regulations could result in oversight, errors, or even violations of administrative law. Legal experts emphasize that repealing federal rules is not a simple task. Administrative law mandates rigorous processes, including public consultations, environmental impact assessments, and legal reviews. Automating this work, they argue, could undermine the integrity of the system. Adding to the uncertainty is internal tension among federal staff. Some employees fear that increased dependence on AI could lead to flawed policy decisions. Meanwhile, ongoing staffing cuts are reportedly hampering the speed at which agencies can review or respond to AI-generated suggestions, despite pressure from the White House for faster results. Still, the administration maintains confidence in the technology. 'We're exploring all options,' said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields, adding that while nothing is finalized, the DOGE team deserves credit for introducing fresh ideas into government operations. As the deadline approaches, the ultimate impact of DOGE AI remains unclear. But what's certain is that this experiment in algorithmic governance is already reshaping conversations about the future of policymaking in Washington. TAGS: Trump deregulation AI tool, DOGE AI federal rules, US regulation cuts 2025, Technology, Tech News
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
TCS to layoff 12,000 employees: What we know so far about the mass cull
Tata Consultancy Services, the largest software exporter in India, has announced layoffs that will affect around 12,000 employees, or 2% of its global workforce. The announcement follows suspense on salary hikes after a tepid June quarter, anxiety among staff over a new benching policy, and employee bodies decrying delays in lateral hiring. Here's a detailed look at all the issues: TCS layoffs: All you need to know The massive layoffs will primarily affect employees in middle and senior roles. Employees on the bench for a long time may also face the heat. The layoffs will happen across TCS's global workforce and will not be focused on any specific geography or industry domain. The IT major will complete the job cuts over the next three quarters of FY26. Job cuts for agility, not because of AI: CEO In a statement on the job cuts, TCS said it is on a journey to become a 'future-ready organisation', which calls for realigning the workforce model, among other things."Towards this, a number of reskilling and redeployment initiatives have been underway. As part of this journey, we will also be releasing associates from the organisation whose deployment may not be feasible," the company said. Talking to Moneycontrol, TCS chief executive K Krithivasan emphasised that the retrenchment is not a case of AI taking jobs, but rather a skill mismatch issue. The company has been training employees in AI skills, but senior-level staff may not be able to use entry-level skills, causing issues with their deployment, the TCS CEO stated. What TCS is offering affected employees The laid-off employees will receive payments for their notice periods, along with a severance package, TCS said. The company said it is also looking to extend insurance benefits and other outplacement opportunities for the impacted employees. In its statement, the company said it will 'provide appropriate benefits, outplacement, counselling, and support' to employees 'as they transition to new opportunities.'CEO Krithivasan told Moneycontrol that the company will not rush the process. It will first talk to the employees identified for layoffs, and try to deploy them. If unable to do so, the fired staff will be given benefits as per the HR policy, he said.
