MUMBAI: Tata Sons and Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran called the June 12 crash of AI Flight 171 the most tragic ever he has ever seen.
“I have seen a reasonable number of crises in my career, but this (crash) is the most heartbreaking one, which I never thought I would see,” Chandrasekaran said in his address to the airline’s 700 staff at its headquarters in Gurugram on Monday.
He encouraged employees to stay strong amid criticism and emotional stress.“Those of us who are very passionate, emotional, and give our best to the job…it’s not easy to handle criticism,” he said. “I want you to be strong. If you feel distraught, remember the word ‘determination’. This is the time to show resilience. We need to use this incident as a driving force to create a safer airline.”
Chandrasekaran emphasised the complexity of aviation systems and the need to wait for allfacts before making judgments. “Airplanes are highly complex, with many layers of checks and balances, and certifications built over years. Yet, this happens,” he said. “We will figure out why it happened after the investigation.”
He also acknowledged the pain caused by the crash and offered solidarity to the staff who responded with courage and calmness. Over 140 employees, including 40 engineers, are in Ahmedabad helping families affected by the tragedy.
“Nothing I say or do will bring back the lost lives,” he admitted. “Peoplewill feel this pain for a long time. Still, we must do everything possible to support them.”
In closing, he urged unity and focus. “A company is what its people do. Big things happen through small actions. Every well-done task helps us flourish stronger. That’s why we stay committed to doing our jobs well,” he said. “Our goal is to rebuild trust, raise standards, and restore pride in Air India.”