Aviation
Air India CEO Faces Plagiarism Allegations After Tragic Plane Crash Kills 241
As India mourns one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent history, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson is facing intense backlash, not for the accident itself, but for the words he chose in its aftermath. Days after the Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed, killing all 241 passengers and crew on board, online users are accusing Campbell Wilson of plagiarizing his public statement from a previous message by American Airlines CEO Robert Isom.
Social media erupted after a clip of Campbell Wilson’s message surfaced, with users pointing out striking similarities between his remarks and those made by Isom after a January 30 mid-air collision in the U.S. Sentences such as, “This is a difficult day for all of us,” and “I want to brief you on a serious accident” were flagged as verbatim matches.
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Other phrases, such as “emergency response efforts” and “We are actively working with authorities,” only added fuel to the fire, with critics questioning whether Campbell Wilson and the Air India Public Relations team either had copied the script or used AI-generated text. Some speculated that both CEOs might be relying on the same crisis management consultants or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that are used in managing airline disasters.
Still, many say that in the wake of a catastrophic tragedy, corporate messaging should reflect authenticity, empathy, and local context, not boilerplate expressions.
The backlash comes just days after Campbell Wilson released the video statement: “First and most importantly, I would like to express our deep sorrow about this event. This is a difficult day for all of us here in India… We are actively working with the authorities on all emergency response efforts.”
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The Air India Boeing 787 crashed 32 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, bursting into flames and killing all on board. Among the victims was former Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani. DNA testing on 132 bodies has been completed, with 97 returned to families.
While the cause of the crash remains under investigation, Air India’s public relations strategy is now under scrutiny.
As Air India tries to recover from its worst disaster in decades, the question remains: Should crisis communication evolve beyond scripted empathy?
