Ahmedabad plane crash: Chandrasekaran urges Air India team to stay strong

Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran calls for strength and resolve among Air India staff in wake of Ahmedabad crash, stressing resilience and safety focus

N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Air India (A-I) and Tata Sons, today offered a message of solidarity and resolve in the wake of last week’s fatal crash in Ahmedabad while addressing 700-odd employees at the airline’s headquarters in Gurugram.

 

“I felt I had to be here and meet as many of you as possible,” Chandrasekaran told the assembled staff, many of whom were part of the emergency response teams activated following the tragedy. Chandra also visited the Emergency Command Centre, the Integrated Operations Control Centre, and the Customer Service and Support to show his support for A-I.

 

Recalling his visit to the crash site near Ahmedabad airport, Chandra said: “It was not easy at all. I’ve seen a fair share of crises in my career, but nothing as heartbreaking as this. I never imagined I would face something like this.”

   

He also acknowledged that no words or actions could bring back the 241 lives lost in the crash, but stressed the company’s commitment to standing by the families affected. “We consider everyone who lost someone in this tragedy as part of our family — now and forever,” he added. 

 

Addressing the emotional toll on employees, the chairman said: “Criticism is inevitable, especially for those who care deeply and work tirelessly to build a great airline. But I want you to be strong. When you feel distraught, remember one word: determination.”  

 

“We are going to get through this. We need to show resilience. We need to use this incident as an act of force to build a safer airline,” Chandra said and urged employees to use the tragedy as a catalyst to build a stronger company. “Now is not the time for promises. It’s time for action. Stay the course. Be more determined in everything you do,” he said.

 

Chandrasekaran emphasised the complexity of aviation operations, saying: “It’s a business with multiple redundancies, checks, certifications — systems that have evolved over decades. Yet incidents like this happen. We have to wait for the investigation to understand why.”

 

He concluded with a call for calm and collective strength: “This is the time to be brave. To be resolute. Our job is to get Air India to where it truly belongs — the place this country and every passenger who puts their trust in us deserves.”

 

“What you do every day makes an airline. Every small action, done with humility and precision, adds up to something much bigger. Let that be our guiding principle,” he added.