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Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Actions aligned with highest standards of safety, care: A-I CEO assures flyers
Amid heightened concerns about flight safety in the wake of the AI 171 crash, killing 260, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson Wednesday assured flyers that the Tata group airline is focused on ensuring safe flight operations, and listed various measures being taken by the carrier to 'reinforce' its operations following the June 12 incident. In a communication to the members of Air India's loyalty programme Maharaja Club, Wilson said that Air India is ensuring that all its actions are aligned with the 'highest standards of safety and care'. 'I acknowledge that there have been some operational challenges over the last few weeks that may have impacted your 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. Alongside, our broader efforts to modernise operations continue in full swing, including our retrofit programme which will significantly elevate your in-flight experience. So, whenever you choose to fly with Air India, know that your trust is valued and your journey safeguarded by our entire Air India family, through rigorous processes, advanced technology, and a deeply embedded culture of safety and care,' Wilson said. He said that the carrier's regular safety protocols are 'rigorous and multi-layered', with every aircraft undergoing 'thorough' pre-departure checks 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,' Wilson said. Wilson's comments come close on the heels of a few highly publicised aircraft snags over the past few weeks, drawing public attention in the wake of the Ahmedabad crash. Over the past few weeks, AI has been subject to a few regulatory actions by DGCA. Wilson told AI's frequent flyers that the 'safety pause', which the airline had adopted after the crash, continues to be in place. This involves additional voluntary technical checks on aircraft and adopting a cautious approach in flight operations, and along with a few other factors, led to a temporary reduction in the carrier's wide-body international schedule. 'The voluntary 'Safety Pause' I had communicated in my last email on 19 June, 2025 continues, entailing a temporary reduction in our 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. Listing some of the other inspections and checks conducted by the airline, Wilson said that AI's entire fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft — the type involved in the crash — was inspected under the oversight of the DGCA, and did not reveal any issue. As with some other international airlines, Air India and its arm Air India Express also inspected the fuel control switch mechanism of Boeing 737 and 787-8 aircraft, which also did not reveal any adverse findings. 'All our processes are backed by a comprehensive Safety Management System aligned with global aviation standards and fully compliant with DGCA and the UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines…' Wilson said. Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Home secretary led committee to overhaul aviation safety
Following a tragic Air India plane crash, India is revamping its aviation safety protocols. A government committee, led by the Home Secretary, will review existing procedures. The goal is to prevent future accidents. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will investigate the crash. The US and UK will assist. The committee will suggest improvements to the National Civil Aviation Policy. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads India is looking to overhaul its aviation safety policy, following a crash of Air India's Boeing 787 plane killing over 250 people. The government has formed a committee headed by the home Committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest steps to prevent such accidents in the future, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Saturday. This is besides the investigation that the statutory body Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau ( AAIB ) will conduct.'We have put a time limit of three months for them to sit down, talk to various stakeholders, and involve and discuss with any other important expert that is necessary as per their investigation,' Naidu said in his first media briefing after Thursday's by the home secretary, the committee includes the head of civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA ) and security regulator Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), joint secretary level officers from the state and central governments. It will also rope in experts in aviation safety, accident investigators and is investigating the crash, while the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) would also be involved in the detailed probe, given that the aircraft is manufactured by an American company—Boeing—and was manufactured in the US. A UK AAIB team is also going to help with the investigation, and so are Boeing and other major component manufacturers like GE (engine manufacturer).'While AAIB will look into the technical aspects of the particular accident, the committee will take a holistic approach and suggest measures for the sector to prevent such accidents from occurring in future,' Naidu said.A senior government official said that the first meeting of the committee will take place next week. Suggestions given by the committee will be incorporated in the National Civil Aviation Policy which was launched in 2016. It will study steps taken by other countries following such have been three fatal crashes in US this year following which there were calls for overhauling of the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)'This accident is a jolt for all of us. But this is also a wakeup call and the committee will suggest measures to make it safer looking at the scenario where aviation is no more a luxury but an essential mode of transport and transforming India into an aviation hub,' he said that eight of Air India's 33 Boeing 787 aircraft have so far been inspected following the directive issued Friday by DGCA for enhanced safety inspection. Air India said that checks could lead to higher turnaround time and potential delays. 'Air India has completed such checks on nine of the aircraft and are on track to complete this process within the timeline,' the airline experts said the newly formed committee's mandate duplicates that of AAIB. 'AAIB is a statutory authority who can investigate accidents. Unless AAIB permits no data can be shared with anyone,' said Amit Singh, founder of Safety Matters asked about this by ET minister Naidu said that while AAIB will look into the technical aspects of this particular accident, the committee will give a holistic view for improving the overall safety of the sector.
