Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has written to employees highlighting improvements in performance, customer experience and network growth, while reiterating the airline’s commitment to transparency and cultural transformation.
Air India chief Campbell Wilson 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.
“Like all airlines, we face a variety of operational scenarios — some of which are under our control, and some that are not,” Wilson wrote, recalling the crisis after the AI171 plane crash in Ahmedabad earlier this year.
“When the spotlight is on us, it’s crucial to offer timely, clear and accurate information and the right context,” he said in his email to staff. Wilson acknowledged that the airline has been “more transparent than usual in reporting incidents and events, however small.”
While this has temporarily led to greater news coverage, he stressed that, given Air India’s scale, the incidence rate is “entirely normal.” “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 context of our scale and size, however, the incidence rate is entirely normal,” he wrote.
Wilson reported that Air India’s on-time performance (OTP) crossed 80% in August, nearly 10 percentage points above the 2024 average for Air India and Vistara. “Our NPS (net promoter score) for August reached an historic high of 36, continuing the strong momentum from July,” he added. Mishandled baggage cases and recovery times also improved.
To address service lapses, Wilson said frontline teams have been empowered to issue e-vouchers to passengers, with plans to extend this capability to cabin crew. “We’ve empowered our 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, and are also working to extend this capability to our cabin crew, enabling them to provide on-the-spot resolution to customers during their journey,” the letter noted.
“These measures, along with the improved metrics, reflect the organizational culture 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 wrote.
He also said the airline is reviving familiar elements of the Air India experience, including its in-flight magazine, specialty menus and greater social media presence.
On the network side, Wilson announced seasonal twice-daily non-stop flights between Delhi and Jaisalmer from October 2025 to March 2026. Air India Express (AIX) has added Chandigarh and Ahmedabad to its network, with Dehradun to follow on September 15, expanding its reach to 58 domestic and 17 international destinations.
“AIX was officially welcomed as a member by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), reinforcing the airline’s commitment to safety, service, and operational excellence,” Wilson added.
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