Speaking at the Paris Air Forum conference on Friday, Ben Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM, expressed his deepest sympathies to Air India and all those affected by the tragedy. Despite the devastating accident, Smith maintained a strong vote of confidence in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. "We still have confidence in the airplane; we have 34 787s in the KLM fleet," he stated, emphasizing that the circumstances of the crash are currently under investigation.
His sentiments were echoed by Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, who also offered his condolences to the families of the victims during the same event. The coordinated expressions of sympathy from both major aircraft manufacturers underscore the gravity of the situation and the solidarity within the global aviation community.
Meanwhile, India's air accident investigation agency has commenced a probe into the cause of the crash. Safety experts have cautioned against premature speculation, emphasizing that it is too early to draw conclusions regarding the factors that led to the disaster.
As a precautionary measure, India's aviation regulator on Friday issued a directive to Air India, ordering immediate safety inspections across its entire fleet of Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft. This move highlights the rigorous safety protocols in place to ensure ongoing airworthiness and prevent future tragedies.
The aviation world now awaits the findings of the comprehensive investigation to understand the full circumstances of this deeply sorrowful event.