Air India’s flight path forward: A test of legacy and leadership

For many Indians, Air India has always symbolized national pride, aspiration, memories and connection. For some, it was the first taste of the world and for some, an experience of modernity. It was a lifeline to home for others. As the country’s flagship carrier, it has long enjoyed an emotional bond with the people of India, far beyond market share or service metrics.

That’s precisely why its return to the Tata Group in 2022, the very conglomerate that birthed the airline in 1932, was hailed as a historic homecoming. The Tatas set out to restore Air India’s tarnished reputation with a multi-pronged strategy: fleet renewal, better service standards and a global rebrand to recapture its old-world glamour and modernize its operations. It has attempted to bring back the childlike-wonder of aviation and the magic of flying.

For a while, that story was working. Public sentiment was cautiously hopeful. The brand was beginning to feel proud again, tying in with the larger narrative of a bold and new, growing and empowered global India. In fact, the airline recently revealed a commercial with a rap song that went "There's an Air about India".

But the catastrophic crash of Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, has sent shockwaves through the nation, not only because of the immense human tragedy but also because it hits at the heart of the airline’s comeback story. In moments like this, the public sees not just an airline but a national symbol faltering.

For Tata Sons, this is a corporate crisis, but it is also a profound test of stewardship. The handling of the aftermath - transparency, compassion, accountability, will decide whether the brand rebuild can endure or unravel. After all, the emotional capital that Air India holds is double-edged. It elevates the brand in good times, but in moments of disaster, it cuts deeper.

The road to recovery now includes not just business and brand transformation, but a lot of soul-searching too. Air India must reassure a grieving nation that this tragedy does not define its future. The brand’s fate will hinge not on marketing, but on moral clarity, operational integrity and the rare ability to own its present (warts and all) and future while honoring its past.

Be it the Mumbai terror attacks or the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash, if there’s one corporate brand that has consistently shown what leadership in a crisis looks like, with empathy, action and quiet strength, it’s the Tata Group. Few brands carry the weight of a nation quite like it and fewer still rise to meet it.