Well, given that we still use aeronautical charts marked in lat and long, and 1 nautical mile is a minute of latitude, that's a fair guess! It's just that we never renamed it the air-mile, and that name is now taken!
Up until the 1950s, most British and American aircraft used mph, but there's been a steady move to knots - a degree of standardisation, but also possibly the removal of navigators from cockpits. In Europe, knots is normal in bigger aeroplanes, but kph is common in gliders, microlights and some light aeroplanes.
Except in sales demonstrator aeroplanes, which are almost always in mph, because the prospective purchaser thinks they fly faster.
Personally I have a slight preference for knots, but have flown knots, m/s, mph and kph and so long as you know the limitations in display units, and your cruise speed, it really doesn't matter.
Altimeters on the other hand, in anything but feet, I hate with a vengeance, not least because of the confusing when in mixed airspace with aeroplanes whose altimeters are more conventionally in feet.
G
N.B. Note to original poster. AI = Attitude indicator, ASI = Airspeed indicator. Standard industry abbreviations.