Archive · 8 Sep 2026
Air India Puts Safety and Trust at Center of Revival
Air India is beginning a new stage of its turnaround with a new leader.
Chairman N Chandrasekaran said safety must come before everything else.
He also said the airline needs to regain passengers’ trust and control its spending.
Tewolde Gebremariam will become the new chief executive after receiving the required approvals.
He wants employees to speak up and stop operations when something seems unsafe.
He also wants flights to be on time, bags to arrive reliably and planes to be clean.
Air India has faced serious safety concerns, including a crash and another flight incident that injured 24 people.
The airline has also suffered very large financial losses.
It is continuing to upgrade its planes, cabins and technology while expanding its fleet.
N Chandrasekaran said Air India must prioritize safety, passenger trust, operational execution and financial discipline.
Incoming CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said safety culture, punctuality, baggage reliability and aircraft cleanliness would be immediate priorities.
The airline continues to face scrutiny after the June 2025 AI171 Ahmedabad crash and a Delhi-Phuket flight incident that injured 24 passengers.
Air India reported severe financial pressure, with figures ranging from a ₹22,000-crore loss to about $2.8 billion for 2025-26.
Gebremariam will oversee Air India’s transformation, fleet renewal and expansion, including more than 500 aircraft on order and plans to add around 600 aircraft.
- Who
- N Chandrasekaran, incoming CEO and Managing Director Tewolde Gebremariam, and outgoing CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson.
- What
- Air India is undergoing a leadership transition while focusing on safety, passenger trust, operational reliability, cost discipline and fleet renewal.
- When
- The employee town hall took place on Monday; the AI171 crash occurred in June 2025, and the reported financial results covered 2025-26.
- Where
- The statements were made at an Air India employee town hall; the reported incidents involved Ahmedabad and a Delhi-Phuket flight.
- Why
- Air India is responding to safety scrutiny, operational difficulties, passenger-trust concerns and substantial financial losses as it continues its turnaround.
- Core priorities
- Safety, customer trust, operational execution and cost discipline.
- Safety goal
- Chandrasekaran said Air India’s safety record should be better than the best airlines in the world.
- AI171 crash
- The June 2025 Air India Boeing 787 crash near Ahmedabad killed 260 people, according to one report.
- Recent flight incident
- A Delhi-Phuket flight briefly lost altitude, injuring 24 passengers; its pilot later tested positive for a psychoactive substance.
- Financial losses
- Reports cited a ₹22,000-crore loss, about $2.8 billion, or more than $2 billion for the fiscal year ended March 2026.
- Leadership transition
- Tewolde Gebremariam is expected to succeed Campbell Wilson as CEO and Managing Director after regulatory approvals.
- Fleet expansion
- Air India has more than 500 aircraft on order and plans to add around 600 aircraft to its fleet.
