New Delhi: In an exclusive interview with Times Now’s Group Editor-in-Chief Navika Kumar, Chandrasekaran called it “an extremely difficult situation” and expressed deep sorrow. “I deeply regret that this accident happened in a Tata-run airline. I feel very sorry. All we can do is to be with the families, grieve with them, and support them at this hour and beyond,” he said.
The crash, which occurred on June 12, has sparked widespread speculation and triggered multiple investigations. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are currently probing the incident. Chandrasekaran said preliminary findings may take a month and cautioned against jumping to conclusions until the black box and flight recorders are analyzed.
Dismissing theories of negligence, Chandrasekaran insisted that flight AI-171 had a clean operational history. “There are a lot of speculations and lot of theories. As for the engines, the right engine was a new engine put in March 2025. The left engine was last serviced in 2023 and due for its next maintenance check in December 2025,” he noted. He also praised the flight crew, calling Captain Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar “exceptional professionals” with over 14,000 hours of combined flying experience.
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Responding to concerns over earlier DGCA penalties, Chandrasekaran clarified those notices were unrelated to AI-171. “If there was a safety issue, the DGCA would never allow us to fly,” he asserted.
The chairman also addressed rumors linking Turkish Technic to the ill-fated aircraft. “None of the 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in Air India’s fleet are maintained by Turkish Technic,” he said, adding that most are serviced by AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) or SIA Engineering Company of Singapore Airlines.
Meanwhile, former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel questioned the silence of Singapore Airlines, a shareholder in Air India and maintainer of several wide-body jets in its fleet.
On allegations surrounding Boeing’s 787 manufacturing process, Chandrasekaran acknowledged the whistleblower reports but maintained confidence in the aircraft’s safety. “The 787s have been flying for a very long time. We’ve had 27 in our fleet even before acquiring Air India, and no red flags have been raised in our internal checks,” he said.
