Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said Air India's turnaround could take five to 10 years [1].

The extended timeline suggests that the carrier's recovery is more complex than initially anticipated under the five-year Vihaan.AI plan. This shift in expectations impacts investor outlooks and the strategic planning for one of the world's largest aviation markets.

Chandrasekaran addressed the timeline in the Tata Sons annual report and during a CNBC TV18 interview. He said the process of rebuilding the airline is a long-term mission, noting that "every great airline is built over decades" [2].

Several systemic hurdles have contributed to the delay. Chandrasekaran said global supply-chain disruptions, the need for fleet modernization, and the upgrading of legacy systems are primary challenges [3]. He also pointed to workforce expansion and the impact of airspace closures [3].

External economic pressures have further complicated the recovery. The chairman said that higher fuel costs linked to the West Asia conflict have created additional headwinds for the carrier [3].

Despite the longer overall horizon, some specific milestones remain in place. The company expects to complete the refurbishment of its wide-body aircraft by the end of fiscal year 2028 [2].

"We may need 5-10 years to get Air India where we want it to be," Chandrasekaran said [2]. He said the turnaround timeline is being extended to ensure the carrier reaches its desired operational standard [1].

“"Every great airline is built over decades,"”

The adjustment of the turnaround timeline reflects the volatility of the current global aviation environment. By acknowledging that geopolitical conflicts and supply-chain failures are extending the recovery, Tata Sons is pivoting from a rapid restructuring to a generational rebuild. This indicates that the carrier's ability to compete globally depends less on immediate financial engineering and more on the slow physical modernization of its fleet and infrastructure.