Air India plane crash: Tata Group Chairman pens heartfelt letter to employees, promises transparency and support

NEW DELHI: Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran on Friday wrote an emotional letter to employees, expressing grief and solidarity in the wake of the tragic Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad airport, which claimed 241 lives.

Calling June 12 “one of the darkest days in the Tata Group’s history,” Chandrasekaran said, “Words are no consolation right now, but my thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the people who died and were injured in the crash. We are here for them.”

The Tata Group took over Air India in January 2022.

“This is a very difficult moment. What occurred yesterday was inexplicable, and we are in shock and mourning. To lose a single person we know is a tragedy, but for so many deaths to occur at once is incomprehensible,” Chandrasekaran wrote.

Acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the cause of the crash, he urged employees to remain patient and assured them that the cause of the tragic crash would be made public.

“I want to say, like you, we want to understand what happened. We don’t know right now, but we will. There is plenty of speculation all around us. Some of it may be right, some of it may be wrong. I want to urge patience,” he wrote.

“We witnessed an enormous loss of life yesterday. Why this routine flight turned into a calamity is something trained investigators will help us understand when their work is complete. Once we have verified facts, we will be transparent in our communication about how this tragedy took place,” he added.

“In the past 24 hours, investigative teams from India, UK, and the US have arrived in Ahmedabad to investigate the crash. They have our full cooperation, and we will be completely transparent about the findings. We owe it to the families and loved ones, to our pilots and crew, and to you,” Chandrasekaran stated. “The Tata Group takes its responsibility to society seriously, and that includes being open about what occurred yesterday.”

He reiterated that safety had always been the Group’s top priority since taking over Air India, saying, “As a Group trusted by so many, when we took over Air India, ensuring the safety of its passengers was our first and foremost priority. There was no compromising on it.”

“None of this matters to the people who suffered devastating losses yesterday. At this time, we can only assure them of our full support. We will pull together as a Group and find ways to help them,” he added.

Chandrasekaran concluded with a firm commitment to the Group’s core values, stating, “We built this Group on trust and care. It is a difficult moment, but we will not retreat from our responsibilities, from doing what is right. We will carry this loss. We will not forget.”

On Thursday, the Tata Group announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the families of those who lost their lives in the crash of an Air India flight AI-171, which was enroute to London from Ahmedabad.

The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff. There were 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members.

Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.

Among the victims was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met the survivor and other injured people.

According to airline authorities, the passengers on board included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing Airplanes also released a statement on X, saying, “We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.”

The Air India plane was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, an LTC with 8,200 hours of flying experience. He was assisted by First Officer Clive Kundar, who had 1,100 hours of flying experience.

According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Runway 23 at 1339 IST (0809 UTC). It gave a mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, no response was given by the aircraft to the calls made by ATC.

“Aircraft immediately after departure from Runway 23, fell on the ground outside the airport perimeter. Heavy black smoke was seen coming from the accident site,” an official said.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday confirmed the recovery of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), commonly referred to as the black box, from the rooftop of a building at the site of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad. (ANI)