'Navigating a challenging time': Chandrasekaran tells Air India staff to stay focused

Air India is navigating a “challenging time”, with chairman N Chandrasekaran urging employees to stay focused on execution even as the airline pushes ahead with an ambitious transformation. 

Addressing an employee townhall at the airline group’s headquarters in Gurugram, Chandrasekaran met both staff and the broader leadership teams of Air India and Air India Express, acknowledging the pressures while reinforcing confidence in the ongoing turnaround. 

“Air Indians have shown great tenacity in dealing with a perfect storm, and we must continue with the same spirit that has been demonstrated.” 

Reaffirming long-term backing, he said, “The Tata Group remains committed to Air India group. The Board is fully supportive and will continue to work closely with the management team.” 

The airline, which is in the middle of a large-scale overhaul under the Tata Group, has already made significant progress. “It has been an incredible four years, and Air India group has reached a critical stage of its transformation. Over 17,000 employees have been hired and onboarded, four airlines have been merged into two, core systems are being modernised, the fleet is expanding, aircraft are undergoing major refurbishment, and our network and operational metrics continue to improve, resulting in a clear improvement in customer experience and Net Promoter Scores.” 

Chandrasekaran reiterated the group’s long-term ambition, stating, “We remain committed to building a world-class airline. 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.” 

At the same time, he emphasised that safety remains central to operations. “Safety is of utmost importance for 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. 

Even as the groundwork for growth is being laid, Chandrasekaran acknowledged the current pressures facing the sector. “While our future is bright and we have laid a solid foundation for our ambition, we are going through a challenging time, the impact of which is most visible in the airline industry.” 

He stressed that the immediate priority must be execution. “What matters now is staying focused on execution. Our focus should be on what is within our control, where we can improve, be precise on costs and remain grounded in the reality of the situation.” 

Calling on employees to remain resilient and focused, he added, “Take pride in what is being done, feel proud of yourself, don’t 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 also underscored the importance of teamwork and customer-centricity as the airline continues its journey. “Work together, keep the customer in mind. The journey has just begun, and we have a long way to go. Keep at it. We will get there.”