Air India CEO says incident rate normal given group’s scale and size

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said recent incidents involving the airline are proportionate to its scale, with over 1,200 daily flights. The carrier plans to let cabin crew issue e-vouchers to address service lapses while boosting transparency and customer trust

New Delhi: Air India chief Campbell Wilson has said that in the context of Air India Group’s scale and size, the “incidence rate is entirely normal” amid incidents involving some of its aircraft in recent times.

The airline is planning to allow its cabin crew to provide e-vouchers to passengers on board flights to compensate for service deficiencies. The plan comes against the backdrop of instances of passengers complaining about service issues, as well as flight cancellations and delays due to technical snags with some aircraft.

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Like all airlines, Wilson said, it faces a variety of operational scenarios, some of which are in its control and some that are not. “When the spotlight is on us, it’s crucial to offer timely, clear, and accurate information and the right context. So, over recent weeks, we have been even more transparent than usual in reporting incidents and events, however small,” he said in a message to staff on September 5.

According to him, this transparency will, over time, help build trust. “In the short term, though, it naturally results in an uptick of news coverage, and with more than 1,200 departures every single day – nearly one every minute – across the Air India Group, it can seem like a lot. In the context of our scale and size, however, the incidence rate is entirely normal,” he noted.

The Air India CEO and MD also said the airline has empowered its front-line teams with the ability to offer e-vouchers to customers in cases where a service shortfall has occurred, such as for mishandled baggage.

“(We) are also working to extend this capability to our cabin crew, enabling them to provide on-the-spot resolution to customers during their journey,” he said. Air India Group, comprising Air India and Air India Express, together operates over 1,200 flights daily.

The Tata Group-owned Air India is recalibrating its operations and taking steps to improve aircraft reliability after the fatal crash of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner that killed 260 people on June 12. The aircraft operating the flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick crashed soon after takeoff.

Wilson also said the airline is gradually reintroducing familiar elements, such as in-flight magazines, specialty menus, and an active presence on social media. “…we are building and the brand values that matter most: staying grounded, staying focused, and acting with authenticity and integrity, whether or not someone is watching,” Wilson said.