Air India Express and AirAsia India integrates reservations system

Air India has integrated the reservations system and customer interface of its two low-cost subsidiary airlines - Air India Express and AirAsia India, making a major move in the Tata-owned flag carrier's plan to consolidate its airline entities. "On 27 March, the two low-cost airlines moved to a single, unified reservations system and website, and adopted common social media and customer support channels," Air India said in a statement. The process largely involved Air India Express migrating to the systems used by AirAsia India. Passengers will now be able to make and manage bookings, and check-in to AirAsia India and Air India Express domestic and international flights, on an all-new integrated website airindiaexpress.com. This comes five months after AirAsia India was fully acquired and made a subsidiary of Air India, and three months after both AirAsia India and Air India Express were placed under a single CEO, Air India said. Going ahead, the airlines will continue integrating other internal systems and, eventually, their air operating permits and regulatory posts. Hailing the integration of the core reservations and passenger-facing systems a significant milestone in the Air India Group’s transformation journey, Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD at Air India said the new Air India Express, operating both domestically and internationally using systems optimised for low-cost airlines, gives the Group a much stronger LCC platform. The integration of Air India Express and Air India will bring revenue, cost, and operational benefits through broader adoption of each airlines’ best practices, systems, and routes, and confer greater economies of scale, the company said. Tata Sons has initiated consolidation of its airline entities Vistara, AirAsia India and Air India Express under Air India, a move that will make Air India the second largest airline in the country in terms of fleet and market share. Last month, Tata Sons owned Vistara and Air India started their integration process as the two airlines look to expeditiously complete the merger process. Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Tata Group had last year announced a merger between Air India and Vistara, with SIA holding 25.1% of the merged entity. Vistara is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines.

Air India is expected to announce salary hikes for its employees. The planned hikes will benefit employees across the board, including pilots and cabin crew, a Livemint report said. Increments are likely to be in the range of 8-10 per cent. The development has come when industry competition is on the rise.

This is the first performance review of employees since the Tata Group took control of Air India. The step is likely to bring parity between expatriate and Indian pilots, the report said, quoting an industry expert.

Furthermore, the report quoted the expert as saying, "The first round of hikes may be over the next couple of months. Pilots will be the first to get hikes. Salary corrections will also take place for the cabin crew and other officers."

As airlines in the industry are planning expansion to meet the rising demand, there has been a greater demand for pilots and cabin crew. The report added that the shortage of pilots in the industry is the key reason behind the decision to hike salaries. Primarily, the airlines do not want talent to join another company.

In its report, aviation consultancy firm CAPA said that Indian airlines are expected to order 1500-1700 planes over the next two years. Presently, Indian airlines operate more than 700 commercial aircraft, and an additional 1,000 plus planes are in the pipeline, the report said.

Considering all these factors, airlines are wary of competition and want to secure their talent. The lucrative offers provided by the middle-eastern operators are another challenge that Indian airlines are keeping in mind, the report said.

(With Inputs from Mint)

The MOCA (Ministry of Civil Aviation) in India has recently called upon OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) in the advanced air mobility space to establish their manufacturing capabilities in the country. This move comes as a part of the government's efforts to boost the aviation sector in India and make it more self-reliant.

Advanced air mobility refers to the next generation of aviation technologies, including electric and hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, which are expected to revolutionize the transportation industry in the coming years.

Several companies, including Airbus, Boeing, and Bell, have already begun developing such aircraft, which are expected to be used for various purposes, including urban air mobility, medical transportation, and cargo delivery.

MOCA urges OEMS inadvanced air mobility space to set up manufacturing capabilities in India.

India is a country with a large population and rapidly growing economy, making it an attractive market for advanced air mobility companies. The government's push towards self-reliance and the development of a robust manufacturing ecosystem in the country has further strengthened its position as an attractive destination for OEMs in this space.

In recent years, the Indian government has taken several steps to boost the aviation sector in the country. These include the launch of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN), which aims to enhance air connectivity to remote and underserved regions of the country, the establishment of the National Civil Aviation Policy, and the liberalization of foreign investment policies in the sector.

The MOCA's call for OEMs to set up manufacturing capabilities in India is a significant step towards making the country a hub for advanced air mobility technologies. It is expected to create new jobs, boost local manufacturing, and provide a much-needed impetus to the aviation sector in the country.

The establishment of manufacturing capabilities in India by OEMs in the advanced air mobility space is expected to provide a significant boost to the country's manufacturing ecosystem.

The Indian government has also launched several initiatives to support the development of advanced air mobility technologies in the country. These include the establishment of a drone task force to promote the use of drones for commercial purposes, the launch of a National Airspace Management Policy to regulate the use of drones in the country's airspace, and the development of a regulatory framework for urban air mobility.

It is expected to create new jobs and contribute to the development of a skilled workforce in the country. It will also help the country move towards self-reliance in the aviation sector and reduce its dependence on imports of advanced air mobility technologies.

The chief executive of Air India said the carrier is embarking on the biggest turnround effort in airline history as he outlined ambitions to turn India into the next major aviation hub following a huge order for new planes.

Campbell Wilson said he hoped to return the recently privatised airline to the “upper echelons” of global aviation as part of an overhaul by new owner Tata Sons. Wilson has begun to rebuild an airline that has been bleeding USD 2.4mn a day, is upgrading a fleet of antiquated planes, and runs on some of the oldest information technology in the industry.

“It’s certainly the biggest aviation turnround, I think, that I am ever aware of?.?.?. I don’t think there is anything that has ever been attempted like this before.”

Campbell Wilson.

Air India boss hails biggest turnround effort in airline's history.

Tata, the industrial group that acquired the formerly state-owned national carrier after a USD 2.4bn bid in 2021, last year began a five-year turnround programme codenamed Vihaan.AI — derived from the Sanskrit for “dawn of a new era” — aimed at transforming the brand following nearly 70 years in state hands.

Last month the airline announced its global ambitions with an order for 470 planes from Airbus and Boeing, one of the largest ever such purchases.

The airline is recruiting staff and pilots and rolling out services in hope of capitalising on India’s growing economy and population — from this year the world’s largest — and diaspora, many of whom fly to India via the Gulf.

Wilson said he planned to triple passenger numbers and to eventually challenge Gulf airport hubs including Dubai and Qatar for layover traffic. Tata is also seeking regulatory permission to merge Vistara, its airline joint venture with Singapore Airlines, into Air India.

As part of the planned merger, Singapore Airlines is investing about $250mn in Air India, giving it a 25.1 per cent stake.

Air India is also integrating its Air Asia Express and Air Asia India into a single carrier. Wilson was unable to say when the carrier would turn a profit, but pointed to “so much low-hanging fruit” for cost cuts and revenue growth, including modernising basic functions such as scheduling, fuel and insurance contracts and its frequent flyer programme.

He said the airline was the last in the world to switch away from an old reservation system, and until the takeover had last hired anyone to work in IT in 2007.

Air India’s new owners have started to invest heavily in IT — in a business where many processes were formerly manual — and installing new seats and in-flight systems in its shopworn existing fleet.

With inputs from financialtimes.

Airbus has delivered the first A321neo aircraft assembled at its Final Assembly Line Asia (FAL Tianjin) to China's Juneyao Air in Tianjin, China.

The aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney GTFengines and features 207 comfortable seats, eight in Business and 199 in Economy class. Its delivery flight is to use a 10% Sustainable Aviation Fuel blend in support of the green aviation strategy in China.

“Since we announced the commissioning of the first A321 aircraft at FAL Tianjin last November, the relevant final assembly activities and tests went on smoothly, showcasing the maturity of FAL Tianjin to quickly adapt to new products,” said George Xu, Airbus Executive Vice President and Airbus China CEO.

“The successful delivery of the first A321 aircraft enables Airbus to honour the popularity of the aircraft for the China market and beyond – and the consistent trust and support from our customers. Airbus continues to expand and enhance its comprehensive cooperation with China's aviation industry, underlining its long-term commitment to China to ensure customer proximity while supporting the global commercial aircraft production ramp-up.”

Airbus has four A320 family final assembly facilities around the world: Hamburg, Germany; Toulouse, France; Tianjin, China; and Mobile, United States. With the conversion of the Tianjin facility last year, and with the newest facility about to complete its transformation in Toulouse, the global industrial system will be fully A321-capable, creating flexibility and agility to meet Airbus' ramp up objectives and the rising market success of the A321 model.

Inaugurated in 2008, the FAL in Tianjin was the first Airbus commercial aircraft assembly line outside Europe. In the same year, the first aircraft sections arrived on site. Since its first A320 delivery in 2009, Airbus' FAL in Tianjin has delivered more than 600 aircraft over its 14 years in operation.

The A321neo is the longest-fuselage member of Airbus' best-selling, single-aisle A320 family, comfortably seating as many as 244 passengers, with a longest range reaching 4,700nm/8,700km. By the end of January 2023, the A320neo family had received over 8,600 firm orders from more than 130 customers worldwide.

Air India on Monday, March 27 launched a direct flight from Amritsar to Gatwick in the UK, with Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia saying the new international connectivity will work as a catalyst for the development of the region.

"Equipped with 18 business class seats featuring fully-flat beds and 238 economy class seats, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will be operating three flights a week on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday from Amritsar," the airline said in a release.

In addition to the flights from Amritsar, Air India will operate 9 other weekly flights scheduled from Ahmedabad, Goa, and Kochi—making it a total of 12 weekly flights to Gatwick. These operations will reaffirm Air India’s operations, presence, and network in the UK. In total, the airline now operates 49 flights in the UK per week— 43 flights to London (Heathrow and Gatwick) and six flights to Birmingham. Air India also operates 31 weekly flights to Heathrow, London from Delhi and Mumbai.

ALSO READ - Air India increases Delhi to London Heathrow flights to 17x weekly

Air India commences direct flights from Amritsar to Gatwick

The first flight AI 169 from Amritsar to Gatwick departed on time at 1320 hrs and will arrive in Gatwick at a convenient 1755 hrs on the same day. Earlier, AI 170 had taken off from Gatwick at 2140 hrs to arrive in Amritsar at 1015 hrs (All Local Time).

Gatwick airport is the second largest airport in the UK.

https://twitter.com/airindiain/status/1640291443704233984

The Air India flight from Amritsar to Gatwick was inaugurated by Jyotiraditya Scindia. He said the new international connectivity will work as a catalyst for the development of the region and added that lakhs of people from Punjab live in the UK and the new service will connect families living in two different countries, according to an official release.

Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said that as part of its five-year transformation plan Vihaan.AI, the airline plans to significantly enhance connectivity between India's major cities and prime global destinations.

"These flights will also fulfil the growing demand for direct air connectivity from various important destinations in India to the UK and from the UK to these popular cities in India."

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Overall, Air India operates 80 flights per week to seven major cities in the UK and Europe. It has relaunched flights to some of the prime European destinations, such as Milan, Vienna, and Copenhagen. 

ALSO READ - Air India set to resume Delhi – Copenhagen direct flights from March 1

Air India’s total flights to the UK now stand at 49. The carrier will have three flights a week on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday from Amritsar as well as nine other weekly flights scheduled from Ahmedabad, Goa, and Kochi—making it a total of 12 weekly flights to Gatwick. These also include 31 weekly flights to Heathrow, London from Delhi and Mumbai, and six flights to Birmingham.