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Air India expands its aircraft fleet

As per the airline, the B777-200LRs will join the fleet between December 2022 and March 2023, and will be deployed on routes from Indian metro cities to the United States of America…reports Asian Lite News

Aiming to augment its capacity, Air India has planned to induct 25 Airbus narrow-body and 5 Boeing wide-body aircraft in its existing fleet.

Air India has signed leases and letters of intent for 25 Airbus narrow-body and 5 Boeing wide-body aircraft which will enter service from late 2022, increasing the airline’s fleet by over 25 per cent.

Not counting the 10 long-grounded narrow-body and six wide-body aircraft that have been returned to service in recent months, these new aircraft mark the first major fleet expansion since Air India’s acquisition by the Tata Group earlier this year. The aircraft being leased include twenty-one Airbus A320neos, four Airbus A321neos and five Boeing B777-200LRs.

As per the airline, the B777-200LRs will join the fleet between December 2022 and March 2023, and will be deployed on routes from Indian metro cities to the United States of America. Mumbai will see the addition of flights to San Francisco as well as to both of the New York area’s international airports, Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy, while Bangalore will receive a 3x weekly service to San Francisco. These aircraft will result in Air India offering Premium Economy haul flights for the first time.

The four A321 aircraft are expected to join the Air India fleet in the first quarter of calendar year 2023, while the 21 A320 will be inducted in the second half of 2023. These aircraft will be deployed on domestic sectors as well as to short-haul international destinations, said an Air India spokesperson.

Commenting on the fleet expansion, Campbell Wilson, CEO & Managing Director, Air India, said: “After a long time without significant growth, Air India is delighted to resume expanding its fleet and global footprint. These new aircraft, together with existing aircraft being returned to service, address an immediate need for more capacity and connectivity, and mark a strong step forward. Air India has exciting expansion and renewal plans, of which these new aircraft are just the beginning.”

Air India’s narrow-body fleet currently stands at 70 aircraft, of which 54 are in service; the remaining 16 aircraft will progressively return to service by early 2023. Similarly, Air India’s wide-body fleet currently stands at 43 aircraft, of which 33 are operational. The rest will return to service by early 2023.

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‘There are mountains to climb’

He said it was by not an easy decision to leave his current role as it was his first professional job and has been on it for the last 26 years…reports Asian Lite News

Campbell Wilson has said that his appointment as Air India CEO and MD is a fantastic opportunity to lead a historic airline, adding that there are “mountains to climb” in his new role.

Wilson is currently the CEO of Singapore Airlines’ subsidiary Scoot Air.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is a joint venture partner of Tata Group in full-service carrier Vistara.

“This afternoon I informed the executive team and your union leaders of my resignation from Scoot and the SIA Group,” he said to the employees to Scoot through a communique, which reportedly was his farewell letter.

He said it was by not an easy decision to leave his current role as it was his first professional job and has been on it for the last 26 years.

Wilson, who has 26 years long experience in the aviation industry, was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India earlier this week.

Air India would benefit from Wilson’s added experience of having built an airline brand in Asia, Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran had said.

Earlier, Turkish Airlines head Ilker Ayci had been appointed the Air India CEO by the Tatas, but he subsequently declined the offer on March 1.

Air India is at the cusp of an exciting journey to become one of the best airlines in the world, offering world-class products and services with a distinct customer experience that reflects Indian warmth and hospitality, said Wilson after announcement about his new role.

In January 2022, the Centre handed over the management control of national carrier Air India to a subsidiary of Tata Sons.

With this Air India’s strategic disinvestment was complete after the Centre received a consideration of Rs 2,700 crore from the ‘Strategic Partner’ — Talace — which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons.

Besides the upfront payment, Talace will retain a debt of Rs 15,300 crore.

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Alliance Air officially separated from Air India

In terms of financials, the airline had earned an operating profit of Rs 65 crore in 2019-20 on a revenue of Rs 1,182 crore…reports Asian Lite News

Regional airline Alliance Air has become an independent business unit under the Central government’s control.

Alliance Air was an esrtwhile part of Air India prior to the latter’s divestment. At present, it is operated as a division under the Air India Asset Holdings Pvt Ltd (AIAHL).

It was founded in 1996 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of then Indian Airlines, which later merged with Air India.

The airline mainly operates on domestic regional routes as part of the government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme.

Currently, it has 19 aircraft — 18 ATR-72s and 1 Dornier-228 — which it operates on over 100 regional routes connecting Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

In terms of financials, the airline had earned an operating profit of Rs 65 crore in 2019-20 on a revenue of Rs 1,182 crore.

Notably, the Centre now has Alliance Air as the only airline under its control.

“Alliance Air, from 15th April 2022, will no longer be part of Air India after its disinvestment, and will be run as an independent business unit under government of India,” the airline said in a statement.

The airline will now sell its tickets under the Alliance Air banner with flight code ‘9I-XXX’.

The airline is headed by Chief Executive Officer Vineet Sood.

Last year, Tata Group bought the debt-ridden Air India from the Central government by placing a bid of over Rs 18,000 crore at an auction. On January 27, 2022, it took over the full control of Air India.

On Thursday, Air India had said that Alliance Air is no longer its subsidiary.

In a tweet, the airline had said on Thursday: “Passengers holding tickets of Air India with a four-digit flight number starting wiith ‘9’ or 3-digit flight number starting with ‘9I’ may please be informed that these bookings belong to Alliance Air.

“Bookings or queries related to Alliance Air will not be handled by Air India from April 15, 2022.”

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Ilker Ayci appointed MD, CEO of Air India

The key appointment was finalised at the Air India board meeting on Monday, in which Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran was a special invitee…reports Asian Lite News

Tata Sons has announced the appointment of Mehmet Ilker Ayci as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India, an official said here on Monday.

Expected to take charge on or before April 1, Ayci (51) until recently was the Chairman of Turkish Airlines and was also on its Board of Directors prior to that.

The key appointment was finalised at the Air India board meeting on Monday, in which Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran was a special invitee. Ayci’s appointment would be subject to regulatory approvals.

“Ilker is an aviation industry leader who led Turkish Airlines to its current success during his tenure there. We are delighted to welcome Ayci to the Tata Group where he would lead Air India into the new era,” said Chandrasekaran.

Acknowledging the appointment, Ayci said he is “delighted and honoured to accept the privilege of leading an iconic airline and to join the Tata Group”, which recently acquired the country’s flag carrier.

“Working closely with my colleagues at AI and the leadership of Tata Group, we will utilise the strong heritage of Air India to make it one of the best airlines in the world with a uniquely superior flying experience that reflects Indian warmth and hospitality,” Ayci added.

Born in Istanbul in 1971, Ayci was once the Advisor to the country’s current President, R.T. Erdogan, when the latter was the Mayor of Istanbul.

He served as the Chairman of Turkish Airlines from 2015 till he resigned last month.

An alumnus (1994) of the country’s first private varsity, Bilkent University, Ankara, he graduated from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and is fluent in Turkish, English and Russian.

He continued his education with a research stay in political science from the Leeds University in the UK. In 1995, he completed his Master’s in international relations from the Marmara University in Istanbul in 1997.

During his successful career, he held several positions with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and for a period from 1994, served as Advisor to the then Mayor of Istanbul, Erdogan, who’s now the country’s President.

Later, Ayci served as the CEO of several insurance companies. In January 2011, he took over as the President of the Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey.

In 2013, he was appointed Vice-President of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies of which he later became the Chairman and served till 2015.

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Tata Sons appoints Ilker Ayci as CEO, MD of Air India

Born in Istanbul in 1971, Ayci was once the Advisor to the country’s current President, R.T. Erdogan, when the latter was the Mayor of Istanbul…reports Asian Lite News

Tata Sons has announced the appointment of Mehmet Ilker Ayci as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India, an official said here on Monday.

Expected to take charge on or before April 1, Ayci (51) until recently was the Chairman of Turkish Airlines and was also on its Board of Directors prior to that.

The key appointment was finalised at the Air India board meeting on Monday, in which Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran was a special invitee. Ayci’s appointment would be subject to regulatory approvals.

“Ilker is an aviation industry leader who led Turkish Airlines to its current success during his tenure there. We are delighted to welcome Ayci to the Tata Group where he would lead Air India into the new era,” said Chandrasekaran.

Acknowledging the appointment, Ayci said he is “delighted and honoured to accept the privilege of leading an iconic airline and to join the Tata Group”, which recently acquired the country’s flag carrier.

“Working closely with my colleagues at AI and the leadership of Tata Group, we will utilise the strong heritage of Air India to make it one of the best airlines in the world with a uniquely superior flying experience that reflects Indian warmth and hospitality,” Ayci added.

Born in Istanbul in 1971, Ayci was once the Advisor to the country’s current President, R.T. Erdogan, when the latter was the Mayor of Istanbul.

He served as the Chairman of Turkish Airlines from 2015 till he resigned last month.

An alumnus (1994) of the country’s first private varsity, Bilkent University, Ankara, he graduated from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and is fluent in Turkish, English and Russian.

He continued his education with a research stay in political science from the Leeds University in the UK. In 1995, he completed his Master’s in international relations from the Marmara University in Istanbul in 1997.

During his successful career, he held several positions with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and for a period from 1994, served as Advisor to the then Mayor of Istanbul, Erdogan, who’s now the country’s President.

Later, Ayci served as the CEO of several insurance companies. In January 2011, he took over as the President of the Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey.

In 2013, he was appointed Vice-President of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies of which he later became the Chairman and served till 2015.

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N. Chandrasekaran: Golden age of Air India lies ahead

Notably, the purpose of the letter was to welcome the employees into the Tata Group “family”…reports Asian Lite News

Tata Group Chairman, N. Chandrasekaran, on Thursday called upon Air India employees to work together to build ‘the airline our country needs’.

In a communication to the employees, Chandrasekaran said: “Now is the time to look ahead.”

The communication to Air India employees came on a day when Tata Group subsidiary, Talace Private Limited, formally took over the managerial control of the airline.

“I, like many others, have enjoyed reflecting on stories from the airline’s brilliant past. My first flight was with Air India in December 1986, and I will never forget how special it felt to be onboard, or the exhilaration as we soared into the sky,” the letter read.

“Today is the beginning of a new chapter. The entire nation’s eyes are on us, waiting to see what we will achieve together. To build the airline our country needs, we need to look to the future,” it added.

Notably, the purpose of the letter was to welcome the employees into the Tata Group “family”.

“Our group has its own storied past. I have learned that to preserve what is best about the past, requires constant change. It is by evolving, adapting and embracing the future that we best honour a glorious history,” Chandrasekaran said in the letter.

It added that the “golden age” of Air India lies ahead and the “journey towards it starts now”.

The Centre on Thursday handed over the management control of Air India to Tata Group subsidiary Talace.

With this, Air India’s strategic disinvestment was complete after the Centre received a consideration of Rs 2,700 crore from the ‘Strategic Partner’ — Talace — which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons.

Besides the upfront payment, Talace will retain a debt of Rs 15,300 crore.

The transaction covered three entities – Air India, Air India Express and AI SATS.

Post the formal take over, a new board was constituted which included Tata Group’s executives.

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It’s official: Tata takes over Air India

Pic credit Twitter @airindiain

The acquisition envisaged 100 per cent equity share capital of Air India and Air India Express, and 50 per cent for that of Air India SATS Airport Services by Talace….reports Asian Lite News

Pic credit Twitter @airindiain

 The Centre on Thursday handed over the management control of national carrier Air India to a subsidiary of Tata Sons.

With this Air India’s strategic disinvestment was complete after the Centre received a consideration of Rs 2,700 crore from the ‘Strategic Partner’ — Talace — which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons.

Besides the upfront payment, Talace will retain a debt of Rs 15,300 crore.

Notably, the transaction covered three entities – Air India, Air India Express and AI SATS.

“The strategic disinvestment transaction of Air India successfully concluded today with transfer of 100 per cent shares of Air India to M/s Talace Pvt Ltd along with management control. A new Board, led by the Strategic Partner, takes charge of Air India,” tweeted Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).

On Thursday, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi ahead of the official handover of Air India.

Afterwards, at ‘Airlines House’, the HQ of Air India, a new board was constituted which included Tata Group’s executives.

“We are excited to have Air India back in the Tata Group and are committed to making this a world-class airline,” Chandrasekaran said.

“I warmly welcome all the employees of Air India, to our Group, and look forward to working together.”

Last month, the Competition Commission of India had approved the acquisition of Air India, Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services by Talace.

The acquisition envisaged 100 per cent equity share capital of Air India and Air India Express, and 50 per cent for that of Air India SATS Airport Services by Talace.

The airline, along with AIXL, is primarily engaged in the business of providing domestic and international scheduled air passenger transport service, along with air cargo transport service.

Air India SATS Airport Services is engaged in the business of providing ground handling services at Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram airports, and cargo handling services at Bengaluru airport.

Tata Sons’ subsidiary Talace had emerged as the highest bidder for the national carrier under the divestment process.

It had quoted an enterprise value of Rs 18,000 crore for 100 per cent equity shareholding of the Centre in Air India along with that of Air India Express and AISATS.

On its part, the Centre had stipulated a reserve price of Rs 12,906 crore.

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MEDIA SCAN: Air India cancels US flights and Bangladesh hailed a model country

Air India cancelled several of its flights to the US over 5G fears and the World Economic Forum has said lessons can be learned from Bangladesh to deal with the world’s humanitarian and development crisis…writes Joyeeta Basu

News in brief from South Asia

India

Air India curtails US operations due to 5G roll-out: The national carrier cancelled several US-bound flights on Wednesday due to the deployment of 5G communications in the country and the impact it could have on key aircraft instruments and radio, reported AsianLite.

Assembly elections: Akhilesh Yadav, after much dilly-dallying, said he will contest the Uttar Pradesh election. He had earlier wanted to only focus on every seat in the state. However, in a big blow to Akhilesh’s Samajwadi Party, Aparna Yadav, who is married to his brother, has joined the BJP, just weeks before the polls, reported NDTV.

COVID-19: India is continuing to report a rise in COVID-19 cases in the third wave of the pandemic, driven by Omicron. It has so far reported 8,961 cases, jumping from 14.43% To 15.13% today, reported NDTV.

Centre says no starvation death in pandemic, SC unconvinced: The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that due to “comprehensive policies and steps” taken by the Central and state governments, there were no starvation deaths in recent times, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court, however, remained unconvinced and sought data to establish the claim.

Financial news

Union Budget 2022: The Union Budget 2022 will focus on gradual fiscal consolidation while pushing public capex, creating a conducive environment for private capex, and raising resources via strategic divestments, Morgan Stanley said in a report

Pakistan

‘Attack on police precinct signals onset of terrorism’: Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid has said that the attack on a police precinct in Islamabad,  where a police officer was killed and two others injured, was an “act of terrorism, not robbery”. He added it signalled the onset of terrorism in the federal capital, the Express Tribune reported.

Bangladesh

Learn about development changes from Bangladesh: To meet the challenges of the world such as global unrest, climate change, and growing numbers of refugees, Bangladesh can offer examples on how to stay relevant, the World Economic Forum has said. Bangladesh achieved the highest cumulative GDP growth globally from 2010 to 2020.

Photo taken on Jan. 18, 2022 shows damaged mud houses after an earthquake in Qadis district of Afghanistan’s western province of Badghis. (Photo by Mashal/Xinhua/IANS)

Afghanistan

Afghan earthquake death toll hits 22: The death toll from a magnitude 5.6 earthquake in Afghanistan’s western province of Badghis has increased to 22, an official confirmed on Tuesday. At least 1,000 houses were destroyed in Qadis, neighbouring Muqur district and Qala-e-Naw, reports Asian Lite News.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s Tamil MPs seek PM Modi intervention: Prominent Tamil legislators in Sri Lanka have written to Narendra Modi seeking India’s help in ensuring that Colombo addresses the island’s long-pending Tamil question with a lasting political solution, reported The Hindu.

On a lighter note…

Jai Bhim first Indian film on Oscar’s Youtube channel: Actor Suriya’s Jain Bhim has been featured on the official YouTube channel of the Oscars, along with the director’s story narrative. This is the first time an Indian movie has been featured on the Academy Awards’ YouTube channel.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY5iOdxhlbZ/

Eros psycho-thriller to release on January 28: Psychological horror series ‘Barun Rai And The House On The Cliff’, starring Sid Makkar, Nyra Banerjee and Priyanshu Chatterjee along with British actors Tony Richardson and George Dawson, is set to stream from January 28 on Eros Now, reports AsianLite.

Kiara Advani treats fans to insights from her Maldives getaway: The ‘Kabir Singh’ actor shared an Instagram video of her vacation where she can be seen having a blast. From running by the seashore to soaking in the winter sun, her video had it all, reported Mid-day.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY24R4CK8x4/

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Air India curtails US operations over 5G deployment

When deployed next to runways, the 5G signals could interfere with the key safety equipment that pilots rely on to take off and land in inclement weather…reports Asian Lite News

Air India has curtailed its operations to USA from India in view of deployment of 5G communications by the United States.

“#FlyAI: Due to deployment of 5G communications in USA, our operations to USA from India stand curtailed/revised with change in aircraft type from January 19, 2022. Update in this regard will be informed shortly,” said a tweet from Air India.

United Airlines said the US government’s current 5G rollout plan will have a devastating impact on aviation, negatively affecting an estimated 1.25 million United passengers, at least 15,000 flights and much-needed goods and tons of cargo traveling through more than 40 of the largest airports in the country annually.

When deployed next to runways, the 5G signals could interfere with the key safety equipment that pilots rely on to take off and land in inclement weather, the airlines said in a statement.

“We won’t compromise on safety – full stop. But, governments in other countries have successfully designed policies to ensure the safe deployment of 5G technology and we’re simply asking the US government to do the same. Otherwise, the radio altimeters on certain aircraft, which provide information to other safety systems like autopilot, heads-up displays, terrain warning and pitch control, will be compromised and will result in significant restrictions on 787s, 777s, 737s and regional aircraft in major cities like Houston, Newark, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.”

“Unfortunately, this will result in not only hundreds of thousands of flight cancellations and disruptions for customers across the industry in 2022, but also the suspension of cargo flights into these locations, causing a negative ripple-effect on an already fragile supply chain. We implore the Biden administration to act quickly and apply the same common sense solutions here that have clearly worked so well around the world,” it said.

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Vikram Dev Dutt named Air India chief

At present, Dutt, a 1993 batch IAS officer, is based in his UT cadre. He succeeds Rajiv Bansal, who is currently the Union Civil Aviation Secretary….reports Asian Lite News

 Senior bureaucrat Vikram Dev Dutt was on Tuesday named as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Air India.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved Dutt’s appointment as the CMD of Air India in the rank and pay of an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

At present, Dutt, a 1993 batch IAS officer, is based in his UT cadre. He succeeds Rajiv Bansal, who is currently the Union Civil Aviation Secretary.

“Shri Vikram Dev Dutt, lAS (UT:93), presently in the cadre, has been appointed Chairman and Managing Director, Air India Ltd, Ministry of Civil Aviation, in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary,” ACC said in an order on Tuesday.

The appointment comes before the likely take-over of the airline’s management by the Tata Group under the Centre’s divestment programme.

Presently, Tata Group has entered into a share purchase agreement with the government for buying out the latter’s stake in Air India, Air India Express and AISATS.

Tata Sons’ subsidiary Talace emerged as the highest bidder for the national carrier under the divestment process.

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