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Air India has reached out to its frequent flyer members in the wake of the devastating crash of Flight AI171 on 12 June 2025, which claimed 275 lives, including 34 individuals on the ground. The airline has expressed profound grief and outlined a series of immediate actions to prioritise safety and minimise future disruptions.

In a letter to customers, CEO and managing director Campbell Wilson described the incident as a moment of deep loss for the airline and the nation.

“Words cannot express the pain we feel for the families and loved ones affected by this devastating event,” Wilson wrote. “We are fully committed to doing all we can to support the families impacted and are also working closely with authorities to understand the cause of this tragedy.”

Flight AI171 was operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner under the command of a seasoned crew. The aircraft itself, Air India said, was in compliance with all maintenance requirements, with its latest comprehensive checks carried out as recently as April 2025.

The note said that flight AI171, operated by a Boeing 787 aircraft, was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a seasoned pilot and trainer with over 10,000 hours of experience flying wide-body jets. He was assisted by First Officer Clive Kunder, who had logged more than 3,400 flying hours.

The CEO's note said that the aircraft itself was in sound operational condition, having undergone its last major maintenance check in June 2023, with its next due in December 2025. The engines were also recently serviced and showed no prior issues.

“As we await the findings of the investigation, these are the facts we are able to share at this time,” Wilson said.

Following the tragedy, and in line with a 14 June directive from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the airline began enhanced inspections of all 33 aircraft in its Boeing 787 fleet. Of these, 26 have been cleared to return to service, while the remaining jets will undergo checks during scheduled maintenance.

As a precautionary measure, Air India has extended the enhanced safety protocol to its Boeing 777 fleet as well. However, Wilson acknowledged that these steps — combined with factors such as airspace restrictions in West Asia and night curfews at certain international airports — have contributed to an “unusually high number” of cancellations on long-haul routes in recent days.

To stabilise operations and ensure adequate backup, the airline will temporarily reduce international widebody flights by around 15% from 20 June through to at least mid-July.

“This will also allow us to have more backup aircraft ready to handle any unexpected issues,” Wilson noted.

Air India has assured impacted passengers of rebooking options at no extra cost or full refunds and has promised to release an updated international schedule shortly.

Wilson closed his message with an appeal for understanding during this difficult period.