Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran pledges transparency in Air India plane crash probe: 'We will carry this loss ...'

N Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Sons

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran has pledged full cooperation and transparency in the Air India plane crash probe. Called the tragedy "one of the darkest days in the Tata Group's history", Chandrasekaran said the company will not retreat from its responsibilities.

In an internal communication to the employees, the group chairman said that when Tata Sons took over Air India, ensuring the safety of its passengers was its first and foremost priority. "There was no compromising on it," he said in the communication which came a day after Air India's London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed soon after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport.

The crash claimed the lives of all but one of the 242 people onboard in one of the country's worst air disasters.

"This is a very difficult moment. What occurred yesterday was inexplicable, and we are in shock and mourning. To lose a single person we know is a tragedy, but for so many deaths to occur at once is incomprehensible.

Chandrasekaran asserted that the Tata Group is there for all those who have lost their loved ones in the crash. "This is one of the darkest days in Tata Group's history. Words are no consolation right now, but my thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the people who died and were injured in the crash. We are here for them," he said.

"I want to say that, like you, we want to understand what happened. We don't know right now, but we will," he added.

Sharing an update on the ongoing probe, the Tata Sons chairman said that in the past 24 hours, investigative teams from the UK and the US have arrived in Ahmedabad to investigate the crash. "They have our full cooperation, and (we) will be completely transparent about the findings.. We owe it to the families and loved ones, to our pilots and crew, and to you. Tata Group takes its responsibility to society seriously, and that includes being open about what occurred yesterday," he said.

"We built this group on trust and care. It is a difficult moment, but we will not retreat from our responsibilities, from doing what is right. We will carry this loss. We will not forget," the Tata Sons chairman said.