Air India has taken strong steps to improve its operations and safety standards after the tragic plane crash on June 12, which killed 260 people. The airline’s CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson addressed staff on Friday and spoke about the changes being made.
Wilson said that it is normal for a company to come under intense public and regulatory scrutiny after such an accident. He urged everyone at Air India to take all feedback and criticism in a positive and constructive manner. “We must listen with an open mind and take action where needed,” he said.
As part of its response, Air India has temporarily reduced the number of flights it is operating—this move is being called a ‘Safety Pause’. The goal is to allow the airline time to complete detailed safety checks and improve internal systems. Flights will begin to return to normal from August 1, with full service expected to resume by October 1.
The airline has already completed full inspections of its Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft. These checks were done to make sure all safety features—especially the fuel switches—are working properly. Wilson confirmed that no major problems were found during these inspections.
Wilson shared that the airline has already made many improvements in recent years, including:
Better training programs for staff
Clearer Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Stronger rules and processes to ensure compliance and consistency
New performance management systems
Air India has also taken steps to make it easier and safer for employees to report problems, especially those related to safety. Wilson said that it’s important for people to feel encouraged and protected when speaking up.
The airline has adopted best practices from Baines-Simmons, a well-known aviation safety consulting firm. One of their main ideas is to learn from problems and mistakes rather than just punishing people. This approach helps organizations improve in a healthier way.
Wilson said the company is also moving towards a digital system for collecting and storing data. This will replace the old paper-based system, which often created information silos. Digital systems allow for faster and more accurate decision-making.
The aviation regulator DGCA has sent Air India some show-cause notices in recent weeks due to reported safety violations. These reports were mostly based on Air India’s own voluntary disclosures, showing that the airline is being open about its issues.
ALSO READ: Poor oral hygiene may lead to heart problems, experts warn
ALSO READ: Is voter roll cleanup fair or targeting eastern Bihar?
Sometimes, Wilson said, normal problems are misinterpreted or made to sound worse than they are because of all the attention. But he admitted that scrutiny can also highlight real areas for improvement—and that’s a good thing.
Customer satisfaction at an all-time high
Despite challenges, passenger ratings show steady progress
Even though the airline is going through a tough time, passenger satisfaction is showing strong improvement. Wilson said that Air India’s Net Promoter Score (NPS)—which measures customer happiness—reached a record high in July.
Over 1 lakh passengers gave feedback in July, and the airline scored an NPS of 34. That’s a huge jump from the past:
In FY23, the score was -17
In FY24, it improved to -3
Last year, it reached 16
Now, it has more than doubled to 34, showing that passengers are noticing the improvements.
Wilson said this steady rise in customer satisfaction is an example of “continuous improvement in action.” It shows that the airline is not just reacting to problems but is also working hard to improve all aspects of its service.
To sum up, Air India is making big changes in the way it operates:
It’s improving safety and reporting systems
It’s investing in staff training and better technology
It’s open to feedback and learning from its mistakes
And most importantly, it’s seeing better feedback from passengers
Wilson ended his message with a reminder that even though the airline has faced tragedy, it is using this moment to grow stronger, safer, and more reliable for both passengers and staff.
Copyright © © 2022 Copyright. All Rights Reserved with Arth Parkash