My first flight was with Air India in Dec 1986: Tata Sons chairman

'The entire nation's eyes are on us, waiting to see what we will achieve together,' Chandrasekaran tells Air India employees

The entire nation's eyes are on the Tata Group and Air India waiting to see what they will achieve together, Tata Sons Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran told the carrier's employees in his first communique after taking over the airline on Thursday.

He expressed confidence that the golden age of Air India lies ahead.

"From the day of the announcement, one word has been on everyone’s lips : homecoming. We are proud to welcome Air India back into the Tata family, after all these years. I, like many others, have enjoyed reflecting on stories from the airline’s brilliant past. My first flight was with Air India in December 1986 and I will never forget how special it felt to be onboard, or the exhilaration as we soared into the sky," he said.

"Such memories are wonderful, but now is the time to look ahead. Today is the beginning of the new chapter. The entire nation’s eyes are on us, waiting to see what we will achieve together. To build the airline our country needs, we need to look to the future.

"I write this letter on behalf of the Tata group, to welcome you to our family. Our group has its own storied past. I have learned that to preserve what is best about the past, requires constant change. It is by evolving, adapting and embracing the future that we best honour a glorious history. I am convinced that the golden age of Air India lies ahead. Our journey towards it starts now," he added.

Following a competitive bidding process, the government had on October 8 last year sold Air India to Talace Private Limited, a subsidiary of the Tata Group's holding company, for Rs 18,000 crore.

In the communique sent to Air India's employees, Chandrasekaran said, "I have learned that to preserve what is best about the past, requires constant change. It is by evolving, adapting and embracing the future that we best honour a glorious history."

"The entire nation's eyes are on us, waiting to see what we will achieve together," he noted, adding, "To build the airline our country needs, we need to look to the future."