Air India quietly cancelled its Ahmedabad-London (Gatwick) service on Tuesday afternoon. The reason announced was ‘unavailability of aircraft’, but it is clear that the horrendous crash of the same flight a few days ago is weighing heavy on the company. Earlier, the airline retired the ‘171’ call sign associated with the ill-fated flight as a mark of respect for those killed. While investigators delve into what might have caused the crash, the collateral damage to reputations has been extensive. Boeing, which was struggling to recover after its two 737 Max crashes in 2018, is now facing a blowback on the performance of its wide-body Dreamliner. Whistleblowers have been raising questions about manufacturing malpractices; but after this disaster, Boeing’s credibility is at a new low.
The crash has also triggered what may be the costliest claim in India’s aviation industry. The aircraft hull and engine value is put at $125 million, while the liability for loss of life of passengers and others on ground could notch up to another $350 million. It has also been a huge setback for Air India, which the Tata Group acquired in October 2021. The company has been on a massive upgrade in recent months, including an order for 500 new planes, rebranding of the name and livery, and refitting of 67 older planes. Much of the hard work may now be under a cloud.
Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran acknowledged as much when he said at a recent review that the fatal crash has been the most heartbreaking crisis of his career, and that it should lead to the building of a safer airline. Running an airline is a complex proposition, but the pillar everything rests on is its safety record. Even in the aftermath of the June 12 crash, three other India-bound Boeing Dreamliners operated by Air India and two other airlines were forced to return on safety considerations. Rigorous pre-flight checks have been introduced and at least five Air India flights including a Delhi-Paris Dreamliner flight were cancelled on Tuesday. Even though disruptive in the near term, that is the way to go. Air India also needs to look closely at the doubts raised about its Dreamliner fleet. Perhaps the best way to honour those who perished is to ensure such a disaster does not happen again.