Mumbai: Stephanie Pope, the Head of Commercial Airplanes at US aviation giant Boeing, met with Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran on Monday at the Air India headquarters in Gurugram, a source familiar with the matter confirmed.

While the specific details of the meeting remain undisclosed, it is understood that the discussions focused on the tragic crash of Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which occurred in Ahmedabad last week.

Over 270 lives lost in catastrophic crash

Flight AI171, which was bound for London, crashed shortly after take-off on 12 June, claiming the lives of more than 270 passengers and crew.

The aircraft, carrying 242 people, went down into the premises of a medical college complex less than a minute after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Initial reports indicate that the aircraft took off at 1:39 pm and reached an altitude of approximately 650 feet before it began to descend rapidly.

The pilot reportedly issued a May Day call to the Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control at the same time, highlighting the sudden nature of the emergency.

Boeing withholds comments

When approached for a statement, Boeing declined to provide details about the meeting.

A spokesperson stated, “We are not going to comment on that. As we have said, our thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected by Air India Flight 171. We are focused on supporting the investigation and our customer.”

Chandrasekaran addresses Air India employees post-tragedy

In a related development, N Chandrasekaran visited Air India's headquarters and training academy on Monday, where he addressed approximately 700 staff members and members of the leadership team. His visit was seen as a move to bolster morale and provide guidance in the wake of the tragedy.

According to sources present at the event, Chandrasekaran said, “I have seen a reasonable number of crises in my career, but this is the most heartbreaking one which I never thought I would see.”

He urged the team to demonstrate resilience, adding that the tragic incident must serve as a turning point in the journey to building a “safer airline”.

(PTI inputs)