Air India, owned by the Tata Group, is taking significant steps to bolster its safety protocols, operational transparency, and crew training, according to its CEO and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson. These developments follow a tragic plane crash on June 12, in which 260 people lost their lives, prompting intense scrutiny from aviation regulators, passengers, and the public alike.
In response, the airline has initiated a “Safety Pause” and implemented several internal reforms to regain trust and ensure safer operations in the future.
Air India has rolled out improved training modules and revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to enhance clarity, consistency, and compliance across operations.
“In recent years, the airline has improved training and promulgated SOPs to give direction and clarity, strengthened standards, instilled processes to drive compliance and consistency, and introduced performance management practices to rise higher,” said Air India CEO and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson.
The airline has placed a renewed emphasis on making reporting systems more accessible and user-friendly for safety and operational concerns.
“We have focussed on improving reporting, whether it be of safety or other matters, by making it easier to do, more encouraged, more protected and put to more use,” Wilson noted.
He added that Air India has adopted learning philosophies from Baines-Simmons, a renowned aviation safety consultancy, which encourages organisations to learn and improve instead of assigning blame after incidents.
Following a series of incidents involving Air India aircraft in recent weeks, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued show-cause notices to the airline. However, these notices were based on voluntary disclosures made by Air India itself—underscoring its commitment to transparency.
“Sometimes the extra attention means that normal issues get misinterpreted or sensationalised, but sometimes the scrutiny highlights genuine areas for improvement,” Wilson acknowledged.
Air India is also undergoing a digital transformation to phase out outdated paper-based documentation and streamline data access across departments.
“We have invested significantly in the adoption of digital systems to replace paper-based ones, so that we have more complete, accurate, accessible and usable data that does not reside in silos,” said Wilson.
The airline voluntarily initiated a “Safety Pause”—a temporary scale-back of both domestic and international flight schedules—following the June 12 Boeing 787-8 crash near Ahmedabad. This pause allowed the airline to inspect the fuel switches of its B787 and B737 fleets.
“The airline has completed the inspection of fuel switches on its B737 fleet following the earlier exercise on its B787s. In both cases, nothing untoward was found,” Wilson confirmed.
Wilson announced that partial restoration of services began on August 1, with a full schedule expected to resume by October 1.
Despite recent setbacks, Air India achieved a record-high Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +34 in July, indicating rising customer satisfaction.
“So far in July more than 1,00,000 have taken the opportunity to give such feedback, and have collectively delivered us an all-time record high NPS score of +34. FY23's NPS was -17, FY24 was -3 and last year was +16,” Wilson stated.
Air India is at a critical juncture as it balances its legacy with a renewed commitment to safety, transparency, and customer satisfaction. The airline’s recent reforms—from enhanced training to digital transformation—signal a serious effort to rise from adversity and rebuild trust. With top leadership focusing on continuous improvement, Air India is positioning itself as a safer and more reliable carrier in the highly competitive aviation sector. As scrutiny continues, the airline’s proactive measures could serve as a model for industry-wide safety reforms.