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Air India eyes 30% domestic market share in 5 years, unveils transformation plan | Mint – Mint

Tata group-owned Air India on Thursday announced to increase its domestic market share by over 30% in the next 5 years. The airline plans improvements/changes in areas of customer service, technology, product, reliability and hospitality.

Air India has unveiled a comprehensive transformation plan titled “Vihaan.AI”, which in Sanskrit indicates the dawn of a new era, with identified objectives for the carrier over the next 5 years.

As part of the transformation plan, Air India has laid out an elaborative roadmap with clear milestones that will focus on dramatically growing both its network and fleet, revamping its customer proposition, enhancing reliability and on-time performance, taking a leadership role in technology, sustainability, and innovation, while aggressively investing in the best talent in the industry.

Air India says:

– Starting a five-year roadmap http://Vihaan.AI or Sanskrit for dawn of a new era

– Immediate focus on fixing basics (Taxiing Phase) and then becoming global leader (Take Off & Climb)

– Will strive for at least 30% domestic (8% now), bigger international pie.

The transformation plan has been developed after feedback from the employees of the airline on their aspirations and hopes for Air India’s growth, focused on exceptional customer experience, robust operations, industry-best talent, industry leadership, commercial efficiency, and profitability, an airline official said.

“This is the beginning of a historic transformation for Air India, and the dawn of a new era. We are laying the foundation for a brave new Air India, with a renewed sense of purpose and incredible momentum,” Air India MD and CEO Campbell Wilson said in a statement.

“Vihaan.AI is our transformation plan to make Air India the world class airline it once was, and that it deserves to be again. We are absolutely focussed on being recognized as a world-class airline serving global customers, with a proudly Indian heart,” Wilson added. 

Air India fleet revamp

The former state-run airline will induct 30 leased aircraft from Airbus SE and Boeing Co into its fleet starting December as Tata Sons prepares to rebuild the carrier.

The airline will add 21 A320neo jets in the second half of 2023 and four A321neo aircraft in the first quarter of calendar 2023, according to a statement Monday. The planes will be used on domestic routes as well as short-haul international legs, Air India informed.

In addition, five B777-200LR jets will join the fleet between December and March, connecting Indian metro cities to America. With the longer-range Boeing jets, Air India will increase flights from Mumbai to San Francisco and New York, and operate three weekly services between Bengaluru and San Francisco.

The fleet expansion signals a resurgence for Air India under Wilson after the government handed over the money-losing carrier to Tata following years of taxpayer bailouts. 

Tata has earmarked 15,000 crore for investment into Air India and Chairman N Chandrasekaran has indicated he expects visible progress in the next one to two years.

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