Chairman of Air India Breaks Silence for the First Time After Plane Crash

• Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran has broken his silence following the tragic crash of Air India flight AI 171, expressing deep sorrow over the loss of more than 270 lives
• The Boeing 787 Dreamliner went down shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, prompting a multi-agency investigation into its cause
• While dismissing speculation, Chandrasekaran confirmed the aircraft had a clean maintenance record and was operated by an experienced crew

In his first public remarks following the crash of Air India flight AI 171, Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran conveyed profound sorrow over the loss of more than 270 lives.

“It is an extremely difficult situation where I have no words to express to console any of the families of those who died,” Chandrasekaran told Times Now’s Navika Kumar.

He described the accident as a painful moment for the Tata Group. “I deeply regret that this accident happened in a Tata-run airline. And I feel very sorry. All we can do is to be with the families at this time, grieve with them and we will do everything to support them at this hour and beyond,” he added.

Aircraft went down moments after take-off

The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed within a minute of take-off from Ahmedabad, ploughing into a nearby medical college complex. The devastating crash claimed hundreds of lives and has prompted a multi-agency investigation.

Preliminary report expected in 30 days

Addressing public interest in the cause of the crash, Chandrasekaran cautioned against speculation. “One would have to wait for the probe to conclude,” he stated.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has commenced its inquiry, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also establishing a committee. “It could be a month until some of the preliminary findings are out,” he said.

Chandrasekaran denies engine or maintenance failures

In response to widespread theories circulating online, the Air India chairman pushed back on premature conclusions.

“There are speculations about human error, speculations about airlines, speculations about engines, maintenance, all kinds,” he acknowledged. “But the fact that I know so far is this particular aircraft, this specific tail, AI-171 has a clean history.”

Chandrasekaran disclosed that the aircraft’s right engine had been replaced in March 2025, while the left engine was last serviced in 2023 and due for its next maintenance in December 2025. “Both engine histories are clean,” he affirmed.

“There were no red flags or maintenance issues,” he added. “Never been safety concerns raised, Dreamliners have been operating for a long time.”

Experienced crew on Air India flight AI 171

Commenting on the crew’s experience, Chandrasekaran highlighted their aviation credentials.

“Captain Sabharwal had more than 11,500 hours of flying experience, the first officer Clive (Kundar) had more than 3,400 hours,” he said. “What I hear from colleagues is that they were excellent pilots and great professionals.”

He stressed the importance of waiting for factual evidence. “We can’t jump to any conclusions… the black box and recorders will definitely tell the story. So, we just have to wait for that.”

Air India maintenance: No link to Turkish technic

Chandrasekaran also addressed rumours surrounding aircraft maintenance, particularly alleged links to Turkish Technic.

“None of them (the 33 Dreamliners) are maintained on a Turkish Technic,” he clarified. He added that maintenance is typically conducted by AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) or Singapore-based SIA Engineering Company.

As investigations continue, Chandrasekaran’s sombre tone served as a reminder of the immense human toll—and the urgent demand for answers.

Woman’s last words to family before plane crash

Legit.ng earlier reported that in a tragic turn of events, the AI-171 flight crash claimed 241 lives, including Yasmin Vora, her nephew Pervez Vora, 30, and his daughter Zuveriya, 4.

Yasmin, 51, spoke to her husband just before take-off, expressing concerns about the aircraft's air conditioning system.

Source: Legit.ng