The year 2025 was difficult, said Air India CEO Campbell Wilson at a conference in Delhi, adding that there have been several challenging factors for the airline this year. From US President Donald Trump‘s tariffs, conflict with Pakistan to visa and other restrictions, Wilson acknowledge the journey so far has been turbulent; but added that the airline would keep flying.
“This year will be challenging from business perspective but won’t derail airline. Pakistan conflict had significant impact on network, US tariffs, visa restrictions, geopolitical conflicts delivered “quite unprecedented shocks” to system,” he said.
“Company below aircraft capacity we would ideally like due to retrofitting,” he said, adding that they are waiting for regulatory clearance to launch China flights.
“The operative word in 2025 was ‘uncertainty’, which had impact on demand in industry,” he added while speaking at the Aviation India and South Asia 2025 conference in the national capital.
Wilson on Air India plane crash
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson also spoke on the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash when Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI171 to London Gatwick crashed soon after take off from Ahmedabad on June 12. A total of 260 people, including 241 passengers, died in the accident
“We obviously, as with everyone else, we await the final report, and if there’s anything to learn from it, we will,” he said. Wilson added that it was “absolutely devastating for the people involved, for the families of those involved, and the staff”.
“And since that time we have really been doing absolutely everything we can to support those affected, both families and also those on the ground, also the first responders, and really do whatever we can to ease their journey forward,” Wilson added, quoted PTI.
He mentioned anything that happens in the industry, whether it is with Air India or others, is a cause for introspection.