09/05/2024
𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 ‘𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲’.
Air India was once so renowned for its service that Singapore’s founding statesman Lee Kuan Yew used the airline as a blueprint for launching the city-state’s own flag carrier in the early 1970s.
In recent decades, India’s national airline came to be seen as a cautionary tale of decline as it racked up billions of dollars in losses and battled a reputation for tardiness and poor service.
When the Tata Group bought the company in October 2021, returning control to the wealthy Tata family after decades of state ownership, CEO Natarajan Chandrasekaran laid out a clear objective: “To build a world-class airline”.
Tasked with leading this mission is Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, who was recruited from Singapore’s low-cost airline Scoot in 2022 to turn around the carrier, founded in 1932 by French-Indian aviator entrepreneur JRD Tata.
“Standards have slipped considerably over the years,” Wilson told Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview.
But Wilson is adamant that “the journey to restoring Air India to its former glory is well under way” under a five-year turnaround plan unveiled last year.
The Tata Group has spent tens of billions in transforming the company in recent years, investing in 470 new aircraft, cabin modernisation, a brand refresh and customer service changes.
After the “capital-intensive” five-year plan is completed, Air India hopes to capitalise on the huge growth potential of the Indian aviation market, the world’s third-largest with some 145 million domestic passengers annually.
The Tata Group’s initial priority has been its ageing fleet, the upkeep of which has been neglected for decades.
Shortly after the ownership change, Air India added 36 leased aircraft – 11 Boeing 777s and 25 Airbus A320s – which allowed the airline to launch six new international routes and increase frequency across a further 24.
Air India’s largest investment came with its announcement of plans to buy 470 new Airbus and Boeing aircraft at a cost of $70bn, including 140 A320neos, 70 A321neos, and 190 of the 737 MAX.
Wilson said the acquisitions will enable Air India to “operate the most advanced and fuel-efficient fleet within five years”.
The airline also plans to spend $400m to retrofit its existing fleet by refurbishing cabin interiors.
Wilson said the retrofit will initially focus on the airline’s narrow-body A320neo and A321neo aircraft, after which 40 legacy wide-body Boeing 777s and 787s will receive a “complete makeover with all new interiors”.
Other changes to improve onboard service include introducing premium economy seats on selected long-haul flights and new food menus.
Henry H Harteveldt, the president of Atmosphere Research Group, said the Tata Group’s investments may help to build a foundation for Air India to succeed, but the changes will not matter much if the airline does not manage to be reliable and punctual.
Above all else, Air India should strive to be seen as “the on-time machine”, Harteveldt told Al Jazeera.
“If a service isn’t considered reliable, customers won’t have the confidence to book with that airline,” he said.
Source: Aljazeera
