Air India CEO Campbell Willson's letter to flyers: “We are reaching out with …”

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has sent a letter to all the frequent flyers addressing the recent

Air India Flight AI171 crash

. The plane crash which happed on June 12 claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew members, along with 34 individuals on the ground. In his letter Wilson expressed profound sorrow and also extended condolences to the affected families. Along with this, he also talked about airline’s immediate response."The loss of 241 passengers and crew members, along with 34 people on the ground, has left us all in deep sorrow. Words cannot express the pain we feel for the families and loved ones affected by this devastating event," Wilson stated, affirming the airline's full commitment to supporting the impacted families and cooperating with authorities to determine the cause of the tragedy.The CEO provided key facts about the ill-fated flight, emphasising the experience of the crew and the maintenance status of the aircraft.

Read Air India CEO Campbell Wilson’s complete letter here

We are reaching out with heavy hearts following the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171 on June 12, 2025. The loss of 241 passengers and crew members, along with 34 people on the ground, has left us all in deep sorrow. Words cannot express the pain we feel for the families and loved ones affected by this devastating event. We are fully committed to doing all we can to support the families impacted and are also working closely with authorities to understand the cause of this tragedy. Our thoughts are with everyone touched by this loss.

At Air India, your safety is our highest priority and always has been since we took over the airline in 2022. In this context we want to share some important facts about Flight AI171 to provide clarity during this difficult time:

Our Crew : The flight was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a highly experienced pilot and trainer with over 10,000 hours flying widebody aircraft. First Officer Clive Kunder, had over 3,400 hours of flying experience.

Our Aircraft : The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023 and the next scheduled for December 2025. Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight.

These are the facts as we know them today. We, together with the entire aviation industry, await the official investigation report to understand more.

Arising from this tragedy, and as directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on June 14, 2025, we have been conducting thorough safety inspections on our 33 Boeing 787 aircraft. So far, inspections have been completed on 26 and these have been cleared for service. The remaining aircraft are currently in planned maintenance and will have these additional checks done before being released into service. Following the review, the DGCA has confirmed that our Boeing 787 fleet and maintenance processes fully meet safety standards.

Regrettably, the time required to perform these enhanced safety checks, along with the application of extra caution, external factors like airspace closures in Iran and the Middle East as well as night-time restrictions at some international airports, along with normal airline technical issues, has led to a higher-than-usual number of cancellations on our long-haul network in the past few days. We know these disruptions have been frustrating, and we’re truly sorry for the inconvenience.

As a confidence-building measure, we have elected to continue enhanced pre-flight safety checks on our Boeing 787 fleet and, as an added measure, our Boeing 777 aircraft, for the time being. Given the time these additional checks will consume and the potential impact on schedules, we have decided to reduce our international widebody flights by around 15% starting June 20, 2025 through to at least mid-July. This will also allow us to have more backup aircraft ready to handle any unexpected issues.

We understand that this temporary reduction to our schedule may affect your travel plans, and we’re deeply sorry for any inconvenience. If your flight is impacted, we will contact you to offer rebooking on another flight at no extra cost, or a full refund. We will share the updated international schedule within the next few days.

This is a challenging time for all of us. We are grateful for your support, and your understanding that safety must always come first. Your trust means everything to us, so if you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us through our customer support channels.

Thank you for choosing Air India, and for being part of the Maharaja Club.

We are dedicated to serving you with care and, always, with safety.

Warm regards,

Campbell Wilson

CEO & MD

Air India