Is Campbell Wilson Speech a Case of Plagiarism or Just SOP Language?

June 19, 2025: Air India CEO Campbell Wilson is under fire on social media after users alleged that his video message following the recent Ahmedabad plane crash bore striking similarities to a past statement by American Airlines CEO Robert Isom. The criticism intensified after internet sleuths pointed out that several phrases in Wilson’s speech appeared to be nearly identical to Isom’s remarks after a fatal mid-air collision in the U.S.

Phrases like “this is a difficult day for all of us,” “emergency response efforts,” and “we are actively working with authorities” were flagged as being lifted word-for-word from the earlier American Airlines statement. This led some users to speculate whether the Air India message was AI-generated or taken from a crisis communications template commonly used in aviation and corporate circles.

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While many condemned the resemblance, others were quick to defend the CEO, arguing that such phrases are standard crisis response language across the industry. “This seems like an SOP playbook response more than plagiarism,” one user commented. Another pointed out, “There are bigger things to question Air India on.”

Even industrialist Harsh Goenka weighed in on the debate, calling the comparison “a good perspective,” though he refrained from taking a firm stance. In his official statement, Wilson had said, “This is a difficult day for all of us here in India. Our focus is entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew, and their loved ones… We are actively working with the authorities on all emergency response efforts. A special team of caregivers from Air India is on their way to Ahmedabad to provide additional support.” The airline, however, has not responded directly to the plagiarism allegations.