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SlashingAx wrote:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/air-india-officially-handed-over-to-tata-sons/articleshow/89156616.cms
Looks like ownership of Air India is transferring 100% from the Government of India to Tata Sons.
69 years after being nationalized, it's back to Tata ownership. Let's see what they do with it - it's going to be a tough road to recovery.
Breathe wrote:SlashingAx wrote:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/air-india-officially-handed-over-to-tata-sons/articleshow/89156616.cms
Looks like ownership of Air India is transferring 100% from the Government of India to Tata Sons.
69 years after being nationalized, it's back to Tata ownership. Let's see what they do with it - it's going to be a tough road to recovery.
If Tata are truly allowed free reign without interference from the Government, then they could really breathe new life into the airline.
....
SXDFC wrote:I hope this also means a new livery is coming.. Definitely not a fan of the current one.
SXDFC wrote:I hope this also means a new livery is coming.. Definitely not a fan of the current one.
SXDFC wrote:I hope this also means a new livery is coming.. Definitely not a fan of the current one.
747WanSui wrote:SXDFC wrote:I hope this also means a new livery is coming.. Definitely not a fan of the current one.
Remember that the last time AI radically changed their livery in 1989, it resulted in a huge backlash from both the flying public and its own employees that the new livery was dropped after a couple of years. It seems to me that AI isn’t willing to go beyond minor tweaks around the edges for its livery after that episode.
SXDFC wrote:I hope this also means a new livery is coming.. Definitely not a fan of the current one.
macsog6 wrote:The Tata Group can be a formidable competitor when they decide to compete. They have acquired a great many other concerns ranging from Tetley Tea to Jaguar/Land Rover, and the deciding factor about what they will be able to do with AI may be highly dependant on the amount of capital the Group as a whole can generate. In any event, as a former resident of India and pax on AI, I can't see service being worse under Tata than it was under GOI control.
LifelinerOne wrote:Hi there,
if I recall correctly, Tata is going to run three airlines for now:
* Air India
* Air India Express (merging AirAsia India into it)
* Vistara
So far there's been no plan to merge Vistara with Air India. Which is interesting as they will be competing companies. So, I do expect things to change later on when the clause of maintaining the Air India-brand for 5 years expires.
Anyway, I wish them good luck!
Cheers!
sfojvjets wrote:LifelinerOne wrote:Hi there,
if I recall correctly, Tata is going to run three airlines for now:
* Air India
* Air India Express (merging AirAsia India into it)
* Vistara
So far there's been no plan to merge Vistara with Air India. Which is interesting as they will be competing companies. So, I do expect things to change later on when the clause of maintaining the Air India-brand for 5 years expires.
Anyway, I wish them good luck!
Cheers!
When Tata does finally merge AI and UK, I imagine that the AI brand will live on, and the UK brand will eventually be scrapped (unless SQ has some kind of veto power).
IMO, the Air India brand has so much more history and potential for future greatness, versus the relative obscurity of the Vistara brand outside of India, despite UK's efforts at making themselves into a premium airline. I think of it kinda like Alitalia versus ITA: one brand is instantly recognizable worldwide and has its name on $400 designer sweaters, and the other is known for nothing other than its oddly-coloured metallic-blue aircraft.
Think of all the promotion and campaigns they could do: "the new Air India," "the glory is back," "India reimagined," etc. Maybe it's just my soft spot for AI's Maharaja mascot and their other iconic branding
oceanvikram wrote:Why not ... it has been done before, China Airlines and Korean Air come to mind. But this is all go to do with 2 (off) big ifs:
1) SQ will allow UK to merge with AI
2) This one is a major one ... when China Airlines and Korean Air changed their image, their country's economic growth started to significantly spread to the common person. However in India, the common person has yet to own a smart phone, let alone read and write.
oceanvikram wrote:However in India, the common person has yet to own a smart phone, let alone read and write.
portola2727 wrote:Maybe more routes will come out of privatization as AI hopefully will have money to get new planes.
freqflyer wrote:oceanvikram wrote:However in India, the common person has yet to own a smart phone, let alone read and write.
many more smartphones than you think. 600 million a few months ago, growing rapidly. you seem to be stuck with an old image of India.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... 275402.cms
DIJKKIJK wrote:portola2727 wrote:Maybe more routes will come out of privatization as AI hopefully will have money to get new planes.
New planes should be the last thing on their mind right now. Other than a few of their A319s, and their lone flying 744, most of AI's aircraft are in the perfectly acceptable age group of 10-15 years. Airlines all over the world are flying even older frames and making money out of them. I can't understand this silly obsession with fleet renewal.
The thing AI really need to do is to refurbish their dated product on board their planes and improve their customer experience.
oceanvikram wrote:
I still don't understand how did SQ allow this to go ahead or even I5. It has been discussed in other forums to death, but I am still not convinced. The only way I can think this can work is if AI is sandwich (in terms of product) between UK and I5. That is:
UK for the discerning customers who are willing to pay - Provide the service levels like ME3, AF, BA, LH, LX, CX, SQ, QF, NH, JL
AI for those who are want the full service but are not willing to pay - Provide the service levels like NZ, EI, AY
IX - LCC
JayinKitsap wrote:Has TATA assumed operational control yet? I'm interested to see what changes they do, it will be tricky to get productivity and morale of the workforce up. I suppose getting the planes running on time will be a big thing for their customers.
DIJKKIJK wrote:portola2727 wrote:Maybe more routes will come out of privatization as AI hopefully will have money to get new planes.
New planes should be the last thing on their mind right now. Other than a few of their A319s, and their lone flying 744, most of AI's aircraft are in the perfectly acceptable age group of 10-15 years. Airlines all over the world are flying even older frames and making money out of them. I can't understand this silly obsession with fleet renewal.
The thing AI really need to do is to refurbish their dated product on board their planes and improve their customer experience.
LifelinerOne wrote:Hi there,
if I recall correctly, Tata is going to run three airlines for now:
* Air India
* Air India Express (merging AirAsia India into it)
* Vistara
So far there's been no plan to merge Vistara with Air India. Which is interesting as they will be competing companies. So, I do expect things to change later on when the clause of maintaining the Air India-brand for 5 years expires.
Anyway, I wish them good luck!
Cheers!
Cardude2 wrote:DIJKKIJK wrote:portola2727 wrote:Maybe more routes will come out of privatization as AI hopefully will have money to get new planes.
New planes should be the last thing on their mind right now. Other than a few of their A319s, and their lone flying 744, most of AI's aircraft are in the perfectly acceptable age group of 10-15 years. Airlines all over the world are flying even older frames and making money out of them. I can't understand this silly obsession with fleet renewal.
The thing AI really need to do is to refurbish their dated product on board their planes and improve their customer experience.
Ok here’s what there actually going to do https://www.cnbctv18.com/aviation/tatas ... 066882.htm
“ Next, the Tatas will have to upgrade the Air India fleet of 141 aircraft, which is a mix of narrow and wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Of these, only 118 will be handed over to the Tatas in fly-worthy
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet faces a severe shortage of parts and engines that have led to some of them lying unused. Before the pandemic in 2019, Air India had leased six aircraft engines from GE for its Dreamliners. However, those engines were returned as the fleet was grounded due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
AI also did not sign the contract for overhauling the 787 fleet with Boeing due to the funds crunch. The agreement needs to be signed immediately so that the fleet’s landing gear can be overhauled.
Similarly, the Tatas will have to revisit the maintenance contracts of engines, some of which are extremely costly. For example, Air India pays around $8 million every month for GE’s ‘on-point’ programme for the 787 fleet. When the payment stopped for the programme, servicing on engines was also halted.
The Tata are also likely to invest in upgrading the cabins.
Of its 70 Airbus fleet, Air India will hand over 58 in fly-worthy condition to the Tatas. Similar overhauling of engines would be required for these aircraft.
“The Tatas will have to take a decision on whether to continue with the A319 and older A320 aircraft or phase them out. The new generation aircraft (A320 Neos) are relatively fuel-efficient and are used by group airlines,” the source said.”
Cardude2 wrote:I don’t think they’re gonna make any big aircraft orders but I could see them having the 747-400’s and 777-200lr’s bite the dust, especially since only one of the 747 is in flyable condition.
DIJKKIJK wrote:freqflyer wrote:oceanvikram wrote:However in India, the common person has yet to own a smart phone, let alone read and write.
many more smartphones than you think. 600 million a few months ago, growing rapidly. you seem to be stuck with an old image of India.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... 275402.cms
LOL, It is quite common even to see vegetable vendors and autorikshaw drivers in India use whatsapp nowadays. Can't get more 'common man' than that.
sibibom wrote:Former British Airways CEO Alex Cruz likely to be Air India ..
Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... aign=cppst
Things are moving into motion slowly but surely. Interesting choice, I am sure Old BA fans might hate him for "cheapening" their product. For Air India cost control is a good place to start .
GCT64 wrote:sibibom wrote:Former British Airways CEO Alex Cruz likely to be Air India ..
Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... aign=cppst
Things are moving into motion slowly but surely. Interesting choice, I am sure Old BA fans might hate him for "cheapening" their product. For Air India cost control is a good place to start .
I think we all know from experience (certainly UK business travellers and BA employees do) that you don't get Alex Cruz if you want to improve service and your soft product, you get him if you want to cut costs.
Cardude2 wrote:I don’t think they’re gonna make any big aircraft orders but I could see them having the 747-400’s and 777-200lr’s bite the dust, especially since only one of the 747 is in flyable condition.
GCT64 wrote:sibibom wrote:Former British Airways CEO Alex Cruz likely to be Air India ..
Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... aign=cppst
.
I think we all know from experience (certainly UK business travellers and BA employees do) that you don't get Alex Cruz if you want to improve service and your soft product, you get him if you want to cut costs.
sibibom wrote:Former British Airways CEO Alex Cruz likely to be Air India ..
Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... aign=cppst
Things are moving into motion slowly but surely. Interesting choice, I am sure Old BA fans might hate him for "cheapening" their product. For Air India cost control is a good place to start .
GCT64 wrote:sibibom wrote:Former British Airways CEO Alex Cruz likely to be Air India ..
Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... aign=cppst
Things are moving into motion slowly but surely. Interesting choice, I am sure Old BA fans might hate him for "cheapening" their product. For Air India cost control is a good place to start .
I think we all know from experience (certainly UK business travellers and BA employees do) that you don't get Alex Cruz if you want to improve service and your soft product, you get him if you want to cut costs.
edealinfo wrote:Cardude2 wrote:I don’t think they’re gonna make any big aircraft orders but I could see them having the 747-400’s and 777-200lr’s bite the dust, especially since only one of the 747 is in flyable condition.
the 777-200s are minting money on the non -stop India- US route and you want to cancel it? what gives?
Speculation about a major A350 order from Air India:
"According to media information, the Airbus A350 is at the top of the list of candidates, ahead of additional Boeing 787s. "I think they're considering an order for up to 30 aircraft," Rolls-Royce Asia-Pacific manager Chris Davie told Bloomberg about a possible size."
The apparent quote from RR lends some credibility to this.
https://www.aero.de/news-42262/Air-Indi ... -A350.html
Also here with less detail:
https://www.airlinerwatch.com/2022/03/a ... -with.html
I wonder if Airbus is trying to offload ex-QR frames already in its production system.
mercure1 wrote:Air India outlined its transformation plan.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FdHGkDkXEAE ... name=large
Link to original PDF
https://www.airindia.in/writereaddata/P ... eprint.pdf
Spiderguy252 wrote:mercure1 wrote:Air India outlined its transformation plan.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FdHGkDkXEAE ... name=large
Link to original PDF
https://www.airindia.in/writereaddata/P ... eprint.pdf
Very corporate language - needs to be deciphered in concrete terms by somebody who can read through this better than me!