Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s continued closure of its airspace to Indian airlines has so far resulted in an estimated ₹According to a Hindustan Times report, Air India has losses of 4,000 crores.
He noted that the restrictions forced Air India to use longer routes for flights to Europe and North America, resulting in higher fuel consumption, increased crew costs and longer check-in times.
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“The closure of Pakistani airspace had a ₹4,000 crore impact on Air India,” Wilson said at an event in New Delhi.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 dead, both India and Pakistan imposed bans preventing each other’s aircraft from using their respective airspace.
On 24 April, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian flights until 24 May, after India suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan.
The restriction was later extended several times.
Air India CEO comments on plane crash in Ahmedabad
Wilson said the plane crash in June was a heartbreaking event for passengers, their families and airline staff. He added that Air India is doing everything to support the affected and help them move forward.
At a conference in New Delhi, Wilson noted that the interim investigation report found no problems with the plane, its engines or the airline’s operations, PTI reported.
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“Obviously, like everyone else, we are waiting for the final report, and if there is anything to learn from it, we will,” he said in his first public engagement in India since the plane crash.
In one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters, 260 people, including 241 passengers, were killed when an Air India Boeing 787-8 operating flight AI171 to London Gatwick crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12.
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“It was absolutely devastating for the people involved, the families involved and the staff.
“And since then, we’ve really been doing absolutely everything we can to support those affected, both the families and also those on the scene, including the first responders, and really doing everything we can to make it easier for them to move forward,” Wilson said.
The Tata Group-owned airline has completed interim compensation for crash victims and others and is working on final compensation.
He was speaking at the Aviation India and South Asia 2025 conference in the national capital.
According to Wilson, everything that happens in the industry, be it with Air India or others, is a reason for introspection.
“It’s a case for a review of the practices. As I said, the interim report indicated that there was nothing with the aircraft, the engines or the practices that required change … (we will) keep improving, keep improving,” he said.
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The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said in its preliminary report on the crash, released on July 12, that the fuel supply to both of the plane’s engines was cut off within one second, causing chaos in the cockpit shortly after takeoff.
“In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots can be heard asking the other why he cut himself off. The other pilot replied that he didn’t,” it said.
On 7 October, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said there was “no manipulation or dirty business” in the investigation into the Air India plane crash.
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There is concern in some quarters about the investigation into the fatal crash by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
Earlier in October, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said there was “no manipulation or dirty business” in the investigation into the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people on June 12.
It is a reason to review practices.
His claims come amid concerns expressed in certain quarters about the investigation into the fatal crash by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB)
Key things
- The closure of Pakistan’s airspace has severely affected Air India’s financial results.
- The ongoing investigation into the plane crash raises questions about aviation safety protocols.
- Air India is committed to supporting crash victims and improving operational procedures.
