Tata Sons Chairman, N Chandrasekaran, urged Air India staff on Monday to “just stay the course” in his first direct interaction with them at the airline’s Gurugram headquarters after last Thursday air crash.

Air India, which has been on a turnaround path under the Tata leadership, has come under the scanner following last Thursday’s air crash. While the airline has been receiving flak over its product, the crash has also dented its safety record. Chandrasekaran’s visit to Gurugram HQ was to see the operations first hand, boost the employee morale, and seek their continued support to management actions.

“I want you to be strong. If you feel distraught, the word you should remember is 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,” said Chandrasekaran, who is also the Chairman of Air India.

“We have to make sure that we stay the course. Be more determined in everything we do...We will get through this. Our job is to get Air India into a better place the place it deserves,” he added. He also urged the staff to continue doing their job earnestly as their actions will determine the airline’s future. “What you do makes an airline. And the company is what its people do...Every small action that you do and is executed perfectly helps the collective thing flourish,” he said.

Command centre

Chandrasekaran also visited the airline’s emergency command centre, the integrated operations control centre and customer service and support department. Earlier last week the Tata Sons Chairman said ensuring passenger safety was the first and foremost priority for the Tata Group after it took over the reins of Air India in 2022. He said the group is trying to understand what caused the air crash in Ahmedabad and pledged support to the ongoing investigation.

The group has also already announced ₹1 crore compensation to the victims of air crash. Separately, Air India has also announced ₹25 lakh as interim payment to kin of survivors.

Published on June 16, 2025