A devastating Air India crash, killing at least 270, threatens the airline's ambitious turnaround plan under Tata ownership. Initial investigations haven't revealed the cause, potentially delaying the recovery for months. Passenger confidence has plummeted, leading to canceled bookings and a 15% reduction in international wide-body flights for safety inspections. Experts warn of potential long-term reputational damage, drawing parallels to Malaysia Airlines' post-crash recovery, which took a decade. Air India faces intense scrutiny and needs transparent communication to rebuild trust.

Prepared by Christopher Adams and reviewed by editorial team.