Tata Group’s Air India has unveiled a comprehensive transformation plan focuses on five-key pillar — customer service, operations, tech, reliability, and hospitality — to increase its domestic market share to 30 percent in the next five years. The airline also plans to increase its international markets share and put it on a path to sustained growth, profitability, and market leadership.
Air India has named the revival plan as “Vihaan.AI”, which in Sanskrit signifies the dawn of a new era, with identified objectives for Air India over the next five years.
As part of Vihaan.AI transformational plan, it has prepared a detailed roadmap with clear milestones focusing on dramatically growing both its network and fleet, developing a completely revamped customer proposition, improving reliability and on-time performance, and taking a leadership position in technology, sustainability, and innovation, while aggressively investing behind the best industry talent.
While the immediate focus of the airline remains on fixing the basics and readying itself for growth (Taxiing Phase), the more medium-to-long term focus will be on building for excellence and establishing scale to become a global industry leader (Take Off & Climb phases).
Commenting on Vihaan.AI, Air India’s CEO, Campbell Wilson 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..
“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,” he added.
“The transformation has already started – a slew of initiatives in areas like refurbishing cabins, serviceable seats, in-flight entertainment systems are already underway. We are also adopting proactive maintenance and refining flight schedules to enhance on-time performance. Our fleet expansion will involve a combination of both narrow-bodied and wide-bodied aircrafts to cater to varied network needs. The excitement and shared commitment to drive Vihaan.ai is palpable across the organisation and stakeholders will recognise the changes as the new face of Air India emerges,” Wilson said.
Recently, Air India announced an aggressive expansion plan with induction of six Boeing 777-200 aircraft and 25 Airbus A320 Neos by the first quarter of next year. The Tata group is also negotiating deal for around 200 narrowbody and widebody jets.
The Tata Group is also planning to raise $4 billion to infuse fresh capital into Air India and refinance costly debt.
In July, Air India had a market share of 8.4 percent in the domestic market.
(Inputs from IANS)
