Tata group remains committed to building world-class airline, Air India staff asked to 'work together': Sources

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran on Friday told employess of Tata group carrier Air India that the "we remain committed to building a world class airline", according to sources. He was reportedly addressing an employee townhall at the Air India group headquarters in Gurugram, Haryana, where he also met with the broader leadership team of Air India and Air India Express, they said.

Air Indians have shown great tenacity in dealing with a perfect storm, and "we must continue with the same spirit that has been demonstrated", he reportedly told the employees. He also said that the "Tata group remains committed to the Air India group".

"The Board is fully supportive and will continue to work closely with the management team,” said Chandrasekaran.

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The Tata Sons chairman's remarks come days after Air India announced the resignation of Campbell Wilson as its CEO and MD. Wilson had informed Chandrasekaran in 2024 that he would step down in 2026 and was preparing the airline's leadership for a smooth transition.

Wilson will remain in the role until the airline puts in place a successor for his role. He had been serving as CEO and MD of the private sector airline since July 2022.

The Tata group acquired Air India from the government in January 2022, ending nearly 70 years of state ownership in the airline. After privatisation, four airlines formed the group: Air India, Air India Express, Vistara and AIX Connect).

Four incredible years: Tata Sons Chairman at Air India group headquarters

It has been an incredible four years, Chandrasekaran reportedly told Air India staff. The Air India group, he said, has reached a critical stage of its transformation.

More than 17,000 employees have been hired and onboarded, four airlines merged into two, core systems modernised, the fleet expanding, and aircraft undergoing major refurbishment, while its network and operational metrics continue to improve.

"Our vision is to connect India to the world and to establish service standards where there is as much dignity and respect for the passenger in the last row as there is for the passenger in the front row,” said the Tata Sons chairman.

'Safety paramount'

Chandrasekaran also said that safety is of utmost importance to Air India. "It is non-negotiable and sits at the centre of every decision we take across operations, engineering, training and customer experience,” he said.

He also express confidence that the airline has a "bright future", highlighting its "solid foundation".

"We are going through a challenging time, the impact of which is most visible in the airline industry,” he noted.

'Execution matters'

Laying emphasis on execution, he said the group's focus should be on "what is within our control" and "where we can improve".

He also underlined the need to "be precise on costs" and to "remain grounded in the reality of the situation", without elaborating.

'Take pride in what's being done,' Chandrasekaran tells Air India staff

"Feel proud of yourself," he said, asking the airline's staff not to "get distracted".

"Criticism will always be there but take it objectively. Don’t get upset; there is no progress without criticism. If the core message of the criticism is justified, fix it,” he noted.

'Keep the customer in mind, the journey has just begun'

Encouraging the airline staff to "work together" and "keep the customer in mind", the Tata Sons chairman concluded by saying that "the journey has just begun, and we have a long way to go".

"Keep at it. We will get there,” he said.