Ahmedabad plane crash | Air India to continue additional pre-flight checks, not to fly when in doubt: CEO Campbell Wilson

Campbell Wilson message came as the operator is slowly trying to achieve normalcy in operation after the crash of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad last week.

New Delhi: Air India has “voluntarily decided” to continue additional pre-flight checks on all its widebody fleet for the time being “as a matter of precaution”, airline’s CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson has told employees in an email.

His message came as the operator is slowly trying to achieve normalcy in operation after the crash of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad last week.

Wilson said the airline has completed the additional precautionary checks on its operating Boeing 787 fleet as directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which has publicly declared that they meet required standards.

"We have also, as a matter of abundant precaution, voluntarily decided to continue additional pre-flight checks for the time being. Where there is any doubt, we will not release aircraft -- of any type -- for service," Wilson said.

He said only the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) could speak about when the report on the probe into the June 12 crash would be ready. He said the final report can take many months though the AAIB may choose to issue interim updates or reports.

"If there is any discovery during the investigation that suggests airlines or suppliers need to change something urgently, we have confidence that such information would be shared quickly. For our part, we will be transparent with what is shared with us," he said.

Explaining why the airline is reducing flights, he said the additional pre-flight checks reduce the number of hours aircrafts are available to operate as also the extra flight time arising from new airspace closures in the Middle East besides by Pakistan closure. "We will progressively restore when the time is right," he said.

He said there are "many theories" about what happened in Ahmedabad but it is not appropriate for the airline to comment or speculate. "We are providing all information requested by the AAIB and are cooperating completely. It is vital that the facts, whatever they may be, are known so that we and the industry at large can learn from them," he said.

On the impact on future plans, he said the Ahmedabad crash has been a "tragic event" and they would learn whatever they can from it so that they are stronger in future. "However, our aim in every respect, be it safety, quality, service, scale, reach, professionalism or any other dimension, remains the same if not higher than before," he said adding the airline continues to have the full support of shareholders.