Ensuring passenger safety was the first and foremost priority for Tata group, which took over Air India in 2022, Chairman N Chandrasekaran said in a staff message on Friday.
The statement is crucial as the airline faces tough questions over safety following the Ahmedabad air crash, which killed 241 passengers and crew.
“As a group trusted by so many, when we took over Air India, ensuring the safety of its passengers was our first and foremost priority. There was no compromising on it. None of this matters to the people who suffered devastating losses yesterday. At this time, we can only assure them of our full support. We will pull together as a group and find ways to help them,” Chandrasekaran wrote.
Chandrasekaran, who is also Chairman of Air India, said the Tata group is trying to understand what caused the crash. He said investigative teams from India, the UK and the US have arrived in Ahmedabad for the crash investigation. “They have our full cooperation and we will be completely transparent about the findings. We owe it to the families and loved ones, to our pilots and crew and to you,” he said in the staff message.
Chandrasekaran also urged patience as probable causes of the accident continue to be a matter of speculation. “Once we have verified facts, we will be transparent in our communication about how this tragedy took place,” he said.