Categories: Travel

CEO Campbell Wilson, ET TravelWorld

Air India will be retrofitting more than 100 planes, including 40 wide body planes, and has ordered around 25,000 aircraft seats as part of revamping the fleet, its chief Campbell Wilson said on Wednesday. Emphasising that “plenty of things” are going on as part of the transformation at Air India, Wilson said the focus is on integration, growth, optimisation and customer experience.

As part of Tata Group consolidating its aviation business, AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India, is getting merged with Air India Express and Vistara with Air India.

There is “immense flexibility” for the group whether it is full or low cost services and “we are in a good position,” the Air India CEO and MD said at the CAPA India Aviation Summit here.

According to him, Air India will be retrofitting more than 100 aircraft and has also ordered around 25,000 seats as part of retrofitting the planes.

The influential International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents more than 300 airlines and over 80 per cent of global air traffic, holds its annual meeting on June 2-4 in Dubai, the world’s busiest international hub. Aviation leaders have said the pandemic that grounded most of the world’s fleet and ravaged airline balance sheets at the start of the decade is finally in the rear-view mirror.

About costs for the airline industry, Wilson said airfares have been underperforming overall inflation. Air India has embarked on a five-year transformation plan, with Wilson saying there are “plenty of things” going on.

The new Air India is not old Air India and “people (airlines) now want to dance with us,” Wilson said while talking about changes and possible partnerships.

On bilateral rights, the Air India chief said there should be a pragmatic approach.