Entirely normal given airline's scale: CEO on Air India's recent snags

Campbell Wilson tells employees that operational snags are expected at Air India's scale, citing transparency in reporting and over 1,200 daily group departures

Air India’s recent run of operational incidents is “entirely normal in the context of our scale and size,” the airline’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson, told employees on Sunday, even as the carrier has faced a string of technical snags over the past three months.

 

“Over the past few months, our operations have garnered considerable attention, both internally and externally,” his message, reviewed by Business Standard, said.

“Like all airlines, we face a variety of operational scenarios — some under our control and some not. When the spotlight is on us, it’s crucial to provide timely, clear, and accurate information and the right context,” he added.

 

The CEO said Air India has adopted greater openness in reporting incidents. “Over recent weeks we have been more transparent than usual in reporting incidents and events, however small. This transparency will, over time, help build trust. In the short term, though, it naturally results in more news coverage,” he wrote.

 

On June 12, Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Ahmedabad to London, crashed into a college building shortly after takeoff, killing 260 people and leaving only one survivor.

 

Since July, Air India has encountered several operational disruptions. On July 2, a Delhi–Washington flight was halted in Vienna due to maintenance issues, leading to cancellations in both directions. On July 21, one aircraft aborted takeoff at Delhi airport, while another skidded off a rain-soaked runway in Mumbai, bursting tyres but avoiding injuries. A day later, a Hong Kong–Delhi service reported an auxiliary power unit fire after landing.

 

In August, problems persisted: a Dreamliner bound for London aborted takeoff in Delhi; flights on the Delhi–Milan, Milan–Delhi, and Kochi–Delhi routes were cancelled or aborted due to technical glitches; and on August 22, a Mumbai–Jodhpur flight aborted takeoff, with passengers shifted to another aircraft.