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Industrial leaders applaud Tata Group’s transparent and swift handling of AI171 disaster.
Air India. (File photo)
India’s aviation sector faced its darkest moment in decades on 12 June, when Air India flight AI171 tragically crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London Gatwick.
The incident claimed 241 lives, marking the first-ever fatal crash involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner globally. As the country mourned, attention swiftly turned to how the airline and its parent company, Tata Group, would respond.
Swift, Transparent, and Responsible
In a time of crisis, the Tata Group demonstrated leadership and accountability. Notable industrialist Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Group, praised the Tata Group’s swift and transparent crisis management.
In his article for The Economic Times, Goenka highlighted how the Tata leadership stayed visible, avoided blame games, and led from the front, an approach that reminded him of the group’s response during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
“This is where Tata Group stands apart,” he noted, highlighting the presence and composure of senior leaders, including Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, who returned mid-air from a Paris-bound flight, and Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, who reached Ahmedabad on the day of the incident.
Industry Backs Air India
Backing Goenka’s sentiments, former Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor urged the public to remain fair. “Air India has had a stellar safety record for decades. One tragedy and people lose all sense of perspective,” he shared on social media.
Kapoor also noted that before this incident, the Boeing 787 had flown over 5 million times globally without a single fatal crash, reinforcing the fact that flying remains one of the safest ways to travel.
Support and Compensation for Victims
The Tata Group has pledged Rs 1 crore in compensation to the families of each victim and committed to providing further support. Chairman Chandrasekaran firmly stated, “We will not retreat from our responsibilities.”
Goenka concluded that the Tata Group’s people-first approach will be key to rebuilding trust in India’s aviation sector. In the face of unimaginable loss, the Tata Group has shown that leadership is not just about strategy, it’s about humanity.
Samreen Pall, Senior Sub-Editor at News18, is a Computer Science graduate but a writer at heart, Samreen has one motto that she swears by: ‘Everything is dull and useless if it has no drama in it.’ This motto c…Read More
Samreen Pall, Senior Sub-Editor at News18, is a Computer Science graduate but a writer at heart, Samreen has one motto that she swears by: ‘Everything is dull and useless if it has no drama in it.’ This motto c… Read More
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