India, July 28 -- Tata Sons has reset expectations for Air India's revival, with chairman N. Chandrasekaran telling shareholders that building a global airline is a five- to 10-year effort rather than a matter of quarters, signalling the turnaround will take longer than originally envisaged. The comments, made in Tata Sons' FY26 annual report released on Monday, are the first time Chandrasekaran has publicly framed Air India's transformation over such a long horizon since the Tata Group regained control of the airline in January 2022. "Every great airline in history was built over decades, not quarters," Chandrasekaran wrote. "Given where it began, Air India's transformation must be seen as a five- to ten-year journey, considering the years-long supply chain disruptions in key components, the need to overhaul legacy systems, culture and fleet, and the creation of a large cadre of technical and airline professionals."He described the task as rebuilding the airline through "fleet renewal, training, service transformation and network expansion." The remarks effectively extend the timeline beyond Vihaan.AI, the five-year transformation programme unveiled in September 2022 under outgoing chief executive Campbell Wilson to restore profitability and rebuild Air India into a world-class carrier....