N Chandrasekaran recalls his first Air India flight as a TCS intern as Maharaja comes home

N Chandrasekaran reminisced about his first Air India flight in 1986 in a post.

Air India, the erstwhile national carrier, found its way back home to the Tata Group today under Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran’s watch.

A recent Padma Bhushan awardee, Chandrasekaran expressed his happiness at the acquisition and reminisced about his first flight decades ago on an Air India plane in a LinkedIn post.

“Like for many of us, my first flight was on Air India, in December 1986. I was a young intern then, at Tata Consultancy Services. I vividly recall, even after all this time, how I felt that day. There was a feeling of excitement, that it was a special experience. There was also a strong sense of belongingness,” Chandrasekaran’s post read.

He also added that it was a “historic day” for everyone at the Tata Group as he welcomed Air India back to the conglomerate after 69 years.

“…We are excited, and we are committed to making this a world-class airline. The Tata Group looks forward to working with Air India and taking our National Airline to new heights in the future,” the Tata Sons Chairman said.

In a message to Air India employees, Chandrasekaran said the acquisition was like a “homecoming”.

"From the day of the announcement, one word has been on everyone's lips: homecoming. We are proud to welcome Air India back to the Tata family, after all these years."

The Tata Group reinsured its role in the aviation sector by acquiring loss-making Air India from the government under Chandrasekaran’s leadership. He had joined as an intern at Tata Consultancy Services in 1986.

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