Back after hiatus, Campbell Wilson's weekend greeting marks Air India's big-bang plans

Tata Group’s aviation arm Air India, after rolling out the recently-launched global brand identity across touchpoints, is also adding more routes to its network. This was stated by Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India in a series of social media posts. 

In back-to-back posts, Wilson underlined the latest routes on which the airline has started operations. Over the past 20 months, Air India witnessed major changes that have begun to reflect positively in its market share and financial performance. “Happy Friday folks! I'm back after a week's hiatus... and with many updates! This week saw the inauguration of our new flights from Delhi to Phuket and Mumbai to Melbourne, as well as the re-launching of our Delhi-Amsterdam route. Our brothers and sisters at Air India Express also launched Surat-Dubai last week with the first flight out of the newly-inaugurated international terminal at Surat airport. This comes on the back of new AIX services from Gwalior to Hyderabad, which will soon be followed by services from Gwalior to Delhi and Bengaluru, and from Delhi to Ayodhya. This expansion, together with all that has come earlier in the year, also powered us to our highest-ever daily revenue during the week,” Campbell posted. 

Wilson highlighted passenger facilities showing promising improvements. “You will also no-doubt be aware that, on Monday, we kicked off the deployment of our new brand on physical and virtual touchpoints worldwide. Our main hubs at Delhi and Mumbai took the lead, with all displays and physical assets cutover to the new look, from check-in counters and boarding passes, to FIDS screens and boarding gates. Many other airport and office locations have already followed, and the rest will complete over the next few weeks,” Campbell wrote. 

Notably, Air India recently revealed new uniforms for its cabin and cockpit crews designed by fashion designer Manish Malhotra last week, which will be introduced in a phased manner over the next few months. The airline will also soon reveal new uniforms for ground staff, engineers, and security personnel, designed by Malhotra. Commenting on its introduction of style in attire and a social media makeover that marks Air India's global brand identity take-off, Campbell said: “Likewise our new crew uniforms, designed by Manish Malhotra, were revealed to the world and garnered huge global coverage. I think they look great, and represent both India and the new Air India in a fresh way that remains true to our heritage and culture. New ground staff uniforms, and uniforms for Air India Express, will follow soon to complete the makeover,” Campbell said. 

The market share of Air India has substantially grown, owing to strategic mergers, efficient capacity deployment, and effective acquisitions. Looking ahead, Wilson emphasised that Air India's transformation program aims to enhance economic success by boosting efficiency and productivity, with a focus on short sectors and orientation of pilots with new aircrafts.  “Thereafter, we will be operating short sectors for a few months so that we can familiarise our pilots with the new aircraft under the tutelage of experienced instructors, and to build a pool sufficient to support long-haul A350 operations later in the year,” Campbell said. 

The airline's customer-centric approach remains paramount, with a focus on delivering excellent service, reliability, and affordability. These efforts collectively position Air India for future growth and to represent India on the global aviation stage, he said.  “This is an incredibly exciting time, and a real milestone for both Air India and Indian aviation. It is the most tangible evidence yet of our transformation which continues apace. Shortly to follow will be the rest of our six initial A350s (all of which are now on our books) and, from mid-2024, the retrofit of all of our legacy widebody aircraft with new interiors, seats and entertainment systems. Not to mention delivery of the remaining 46 B737MAX's coming into Air India Express (including 3 in the next week alone!) and a host of A320s into Air India. The rebirth of Air India is now well under way,” Campbell wrote. 

He further said: “This is an incredibly exciting time, and a real milestone for both Air India and Indian aviation. It is the most tangible evidence yet of our transformation which continues apace. Shortly to follow will be the rest of our six initial A350s (all of which are now on our books) and, from mid-2024, the retrofit of all of our legacy widebody aircraft with new interiors, seats and entertainment systems. Not to mention delivery of the remaining 46 B737MAX's coming into Air India Express (including 3 in the next week alone!) and a host of A320s into Air India. The rebirth of Air India is now well under way.”

Campbell said the new website and mobile app was revealed, sporting significant functionality enhancements in addition to carrying the new brand. “If you've not yet taken a surf on the new site or downloaded the new app, I encourage you to do so; both are a world away from where we started less than two years ago,” he said. 

“All of these reveals and upgradations are leading up to the arrival in India of our - and India's - first A350 aircraft. After many months of planning, the first aircraft, and the first to sport our new livery and interior, will arrive in Delhi tomorrow. Being the first of type for India and Air India, there are a number of post-arrival regulatory processes that need to be completed, including customs clearance, various DGCA checks on equipment, as well as a series of ground tests and proving flights to demonstrate procedures in action before we are certified to carry passengers,” Campbell said.