Battling intense scrutiny, Air India MD and CEO Campbell Wilson called on its employees for the commentary from all sides to be taken constructively ‘with grace and an open mind.’
In a note to the airline’s staff sent on Friday, he said, “It is natural that, following an accident, there is a period of intense scrutiny. Some of it must come from internal examination and self-reflection, while some of it will come from external parties.”
Following the Air India flight crash of June 12, which saw a total of 280 fatalities, the company has continued to remain at the centre of attention following multiple incidents including a plane’s engine catching fire, an aircraft skidding off the runway and technical snags.
DGCA action
“Sometimes the extra attention means that normal issues get misinterpreted or sensationalised, but sometimes the scrutiny highlights genuine areas for improvement. We must take all commentary constructively with grace and an open mind, and where there is an opportunity to act, must do so,” Wilson added.
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on July 24 issued four show cause notices to Air India for various violations. The violations were related to cabin crew rest and duty norms, cabin crew training rules and operational procedures.
Staff urged to uphold standards
“Performance and improvement are dependent on people. People following prescribed processes. People acting in a conscientious manner. People striving to do better. People doing the right thing, all the time, not just when someone else is watching,” Wilson added.
Air India is approaching the half-way mark of its self-imposed ‘Safety Pause’ that allowed it to conduct additional precautionary checks on its Boeing 787 aircraft as well as to accommodate longer flying times, due to the closure of airspace over Pakistan.
“We have now completed the inspection of fuel switches on our B737 fleet following the earlier exercise on our B787s. In both cases, nothing untoward was found,” Wilson added.
While partial restoration of its temporary schedule reduction commences on August 1, a full restoration is planned by October 1, according to the airline’s announced plans.