Air India CEO's remarks after plane crash draw scrutiny
Mr Campbell Wilson stood before a camera last week to read a carefully worded statement about the plane operated by Air India, the company he leads, that had crashed hours earlier in Ahmedabad, India, with 242 people aboard.
His remarks immediately drew criticism. Social media users said he appeared cold and lacking in empathy.
Soon after that, another critique emerged: Much of Mr Wilson's speech was identical to one given five months earlier by Mr Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines, after a deadly crash in Washington.
The similarities in the two statements are striking. Mr Karthik Srinivasan, a communications consultant in Bengaluru, India, posted transcripts on social media showing that many of Mr Campbell's words had exact parallels in Mr Isom's.
'First and most importantly, I'd like to express our deep sorrow about these events,' Mr Isom said in the video published on Jan 29.
On June 12, Mr Wilson began: 'First and most importantly, I would like to express our deep sorrow about this event.'
'This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines,' Mr Isom continued. Mr Wilson said: 'This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India.'
Mr Isom said, 'I know that there are many questions, and at this early stage, I'll not be able to answer all of them. But I do want to share the information I have at this time.'
Mr Wilson said exactly the same thing, except he didn't say 'early', and in one instance he used 'we' instead of 'I'.
Many who responded to Mr Srinivasan's post expressed anger and distrust at the airline.
The outcry over the remarks has added to the challenges facing Air India as investigators work to understand what caused its London-bound jet to crash moments after takeoff, killing all but one person on board and dozens on the ground.
Public relations specialists said that it was common to see similar structures and elements in statements from companies dealing with crises. But they said it was surprising to see one copy another verbatim.
Air India did not address the plagiarism accusations in a statement responding to criticism of Mr Wilson's remarks. But it acknowledged that it had drawn examples from other crashes. NYTIMES
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine's military loses first French Mirage fighter jet in crash
Find out what's new on ST website and app. A Mirage 2000 fighter jet supplied to Ukraine from France crashed on Tuesday after experiencing equipment failure during an assignment, with the pilot ejecting safely, Ukraine's military said. It was the first loss of a Mirage jet since Ukraine's military started receiving them earlier this year. "Equipment failure occurred, which the pilot reported to the flight controller," a military statement said on Telegram. "The pilot then acted competently, as is expected in crisis situations, and successfully ejected. A rescue crew found the pilot in a stable condition. There were no casualties on the ground." Ukrainian news reports said the incident occurred in the northwestern Volyn region. Ukraine's military announced the arrival of the first batch of Mirage aircraft in February. U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets began arriving last year from different countries as Ukraine's Western allies sought to help Kyiv upgrade its largely Soviet-era air force fleet. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Two found dead after fire in Toa Payoh flat Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22 Singapore Singaporeans continue to hold world's most powerful passport in latest ranking Singapore Singapore, Vietnam agree to step up defence ties, dialogue between leaders Asia Malaysia govt's reform pledge tested as DAP chief bows over unresolved 2009 death of political aide Tech Singapore to increase pool of early adopters in AI to complement data scientists, engineers Singapore Prosecution says judge who acquitted duo of bribing ex-LTA official had copied defence arguments Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving
CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
US dollar falls ahead of Trump's tariff deadline
LONDON/NEW YORK :The dollar slid on Tuesday, with the yen one of the major gainers versus the greenback, as investors tracked talks ahead of an August 1 deadline that could bring steep tariffs on products of U.S. trading partners that fail to strike deals. Trading was mostly subdued, with the Japanese currency advancing for a second straight session following results from a weekend upper house election in Japan that had already been priced in. The focus has shifted to how quickly Tokyo can strike a trade deal with Washington as well as on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's future at the helm. In late morning trading, the dollar fell 0.7 per cent to 146.36 yen, having fallen more than 1 per cent on Monday following the weekend election and a public holiday. The U.S. currency has retreated for two straight sessions against the yen. With little over a week to go before August 1, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday the administration is more concerned with the quality of trade agreements than their timing. Asked whether the deadline could be extended for countries engaged in productive talks with Washington, Bessent said President Donald Trump would make that decision. "Markets through that noise (August 1 tariff deadline) until something actually definitive happens," said Brad Bechtel, global head of FX, at Jefferies in New York. "And a lot of the data has actually been looking okay even with all the tariffs, at least those that have been implemented already." Uncertainty over the eventual state of tariffs globally has been a huge overhang for the foreign exchange market, leaving currencies trading in a tight range for the most part, even as stocks on Wall Street have scaled fresh highs. The dollar index, a gauge of its value against a basket of currencies, slipped 0.3 per cent to 97.545, having weakened around 0.6 per cent on Monday. The euro edged up 0.2 per cent to $1.1725, with the European Central Bank also in the mix this week for central bank meetings. It is not expected to adjust euro zone interest rates, however. A deal between the European Union, which could face 30 per cent tariffs from August 1, and the United States remains elusive. EU diplomats said on Monday they were exploring a broader set of possible counter-measures given fading prospects for an agreement. "The Trump administration has shown little tolerance for retaliatory measures, and there is a risk this could spiral (even if temporarily) into a tit-for-tat tariff escalation," wrote Francesco Pesole, currency strategist, at ING in a research note. "The euro's ability to maintain preference over the dollar amid tariff tensions will depend on the extent of any escalation and whether the EU emerges as a relative loser while other countries secure significant deals with the U.S.," he added. Also weighing on investors' minds were worries about Federal Reserve independence, given Trump has repeatedly railed against Chair Jerome Powell and urged him to resign because of the central bank's reluctance to cut interest rates. "Our base case remains that solid U.S. data and a tariff-driven rebound in inflation will keep the FOMC on hold into 2026, and that the resulting shift in interest rate differentials will drive a continued rebound in the dollar in the next few months," said Jonas Goltermann, deputy chief markets economist at Capital Economics. "But that view is clearly at the mercy of the White House's whims." Currency bid prices at 22 July 02:52 p.m. GMT Descripti RIC Last U.S. Pct YTD Pct High Low on Close Change Bid Bid Previous Session Dollar 97.596 97.847 -0.25 per cent -10.04 per cent 97.994 97.5 index 95 Euro/Doll 1.1716 1.1699 0.15 per cent 13.17 per cent $1.1717 $1.1 ar 678 Dollar/Ye 146.41 147.3 -0.59 per cent -6.95 per cent 147.93 146. n 42 Euro/Yen 171.54 172.31 -0.45 per cent 5.1 per cent 172.93 171. 37 Dollar/Sw 0.7959 0.798 -0.26 per cent -12.29 per cent 0.7988 0.79 iss 59 Sterling/ 1.3495 1.3492 0.03 per cent 7.91 per cent $1.3499 $1.3 Dollar 463 Dollar/Ca 1.364 1.3681 -0.3 per cent -5.14 per cent 1.3695 1.36 nadian 36 Aussie/Do 0.654 0.6525 0.27 per cent 5.74 per cent $0.6545 $0.6 llar 505 Euro/Swis 0.9323 0.9329 -0.05 per cent -0.73 per cent 0.9337 0.93 s 14 Euro/Ster 0.868 0.8665 0.17 per cent 4.92 per cent 0.8683 0.86 ling 64 NZ 0.5985 0.5968 0.33 per cent 7.01 per cent $0.5989 0.59 Dollar/Do 42 llar Dollar/No 10.1145 10.1541 -0.39 per cent -11.01 per cent 10.1956 10.1 rway 142 Euro/Norw 11.8498 11.8698 -0.17 per cent 0.69 per cent 11.92 11.8 ay 49 Dollar/Sw 9.5401 9.5745 -0.36 per cent -13.41 per cent 9.6069 9.53 eden 96 Euro/Swed 11.1782 11.1985 -0.18 per cent -2.52 per cent 11.2265 11.1 en 767
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Straits Times
Air India jet grounded for checks after power generator caught fire at Delhi airport
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The aircraft's auxillary power unit caught fire when its passengers were getting off the aircraft. Air India said on July 22 it has grounded a passenger jet for checks after a power generator caught fire shortly after landing at India's capital city, New Delhi. The aircraft's auxillary power unit (APU) caught fire when its passengers were getting off the aircraft, and was automatically shut down, a spokesperson for the airline said in a statement. APU is an electrical power generator typically located at the rear of an aircraft. Its primary function is to start the main engines and power essential onboard systems while the airplane is parked at the airport. Passengers 'disembarked normally' and are safe but the aircraft, which was flying from Hong Kong, suffered some damage, the airline said. It did not elaborate on the damages caused to the plane. The impacted flight is an Airbus A321, data from flightradar24 showed. Air India said it has notified the regulator of the incident. India's aviation regulator was not immediately available for comment. Air India has come under heightened scrutiny in the aftermath of one of its planes crashing fatally in the western Ahmedabad city in June , which killed 260 people. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Two found dead after fire in Toa Payoh flat Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22 Singapore Singaporeans continue to hold world's most powerful passport in latest ranking Singapore Singapore, Vietnam agree to step up defence ties, dialogue among leaders Asia Malaysia govt's reform pledge tested as DAP chief bows over unresolved 2009 death of political aide Singapore Woman evacuated from lift in Supreme Court building after falling glass triggers emergency halt Singapore Prosecution says judge who acquitted duo of bribing ex-LTA official had copied defence arguments Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving
