'Crashed Air India plane had no red flags': Airline chief
What's the story
Tata Sons and Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran has said that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner involved in the recent crash had no prior red flags.
In an interview with Times Now, he confirmed that both engines of the aircraft were in good shape.
The right engine was newly installed in March 2023, while the left one was last serviced in 2023 and is due for maintenance in December 2025, he said.
Statement
AI-171 has a clean history
"But the fact that I know so far is this particular aircraft, this specific tail, AI-171 has a clean history," he told Times Now.
"There were no red flags or maintenance issues," Chandrasekaran said, adding, "There have never been safety concerns raised; Dreamliners have been operating for a long time."
Investigation underway
'It's an extremely difficult situation...': Chandrasekaran on tragedy
Chandrasekaran, once again, expressed his deep sorrow over the tragedy, saying, "It is an extremely difficult situation where I have no words to express to console any of the families of those who died."
He also apologized for the accident and promised support to affected families.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is probing the incident, with preliminary findings expected in a month.
Crew qualifications
Flight had a seasoned crew
The flight had a seasoned crew, with Captain Sabharwal having over 11,500 hours of flying experience and First Officer Kundar over 3,400 hours.
"What I hear from colleagues is that they were excellent pilots and great professionals. So, we can't jump to any conclusions. I am told by all the experts that the black box and recorders will definitely tell the story. So, we just have to wait for that," he said, when questioned if the pilots were qualified.
Operational impact
Air India has witnessed flight cancelations and delays
He also dismissed speculation about Turkish involvement in maintenance, stating, "None of them (the 33 Dreamliners) are maintained by Turkish Technic."
He explained that the majority are maintained by AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) or SIA Engineering Company, which is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines.
After the crash, Air India has witnessed flight cancellations and delays.
Chandrasekaran admitted that communication with passengers could have been better.
He said a strategic communications team has been deployed to improve passenger communication.
Corporate communication
Chandrasekaran reached out to Boeing, GE after the crash
Chandrasekaran also said that he has reached out to the top management at Boeing and General Electric.
"I did connect with Boeing and GE...Parallel to the DGCA checks that we have gone through, I have asked them to check...if there have been issues with any of the aircraft or engines," he stated.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which was headed to London from Ahmedabad, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all but one passenger. Thirty people on the ground were also killed.