NEW DELHI: Air India has entered into a one-way codeshare agreement with its subsidiary, Air India Express. This allows Air India to market and distribute flights operated by Air India Express, providing convenient connections between Air India’s international destinations and Air India Express’s domestic network.
The Tata Group is merging erstwhile AirAsia India into AI Express to form a big budget carrier.And Vistara is being merged into AI to form a big full service airline something causing tremendous heartburn in employees of the former.
“Air India now places the ‘AI’ code on Air India Express (IX) operated flights, allowing AIX to benefit from AI’s global sales and distribution, AI to leverage nine new destinations and hundreds of extra frequencies operated by AIX, and customers to enjoy the convenience of through-checkin and baggage tagging. This follows the earlier rollout of AI code on I5 flights and is a precursor to the placement of the AI code on Vistara flights too,” AI MD-CEO Campbell Wilson on Friday said.
Both the mergers have to be completed within this calendar year. Bringing different work cultures of different airlines has never been easy. India itself has seen erstwhile Indian Airlines merging into erstwhile Air India; Sahara into Jet and Deccan into Kingfisher with disastrous results, especially for promoters of the last two Naresh Goyal and Vijay Mallya. They could not handle one airline merger.
The Tatas are simultaneously handling two mergers of virtually five airlines — erstwhile AI & IA, Vistara, erstwhile AirAsia India and Air India Express. “For the sake of Indian aviation it is crucial Tatas are successful in this task. Given the size of its market, India needs at least 2-3 big airlines (US has three) — IndiGo, Tata Group airlines and 1-2 more solid players that emerge over time,” said a senior pilot.
IndiGo, Tata Group and Akasa have ordered over 1,100 aircraft worth $140 billion at list price between Feb 2023 and this Jan. Accordingly mega airports are being developed in India by the private and public sector.
Nomadic Aviation Group managing partner Steven Giordano told TOI, “A local team of Engineers from the Air India MRO facility and on-site technical representatives for Aersale (the purchaser) have been getting the aircraft ready for flight for several months with inspections, engine runs, and return-to-service actions. The aircraft have been de-registered and placed on the FAA (United States) registry. An FAA Designated Airworthiness Inspector (DAR-T) from the New York field office has/will sign off each special airworthiness certificate prior to flight which will permit ‘one-time’ operations for the purpose of the ferry flight. I believe these aircraft last flew in 2021.” Nomadic Aviation Group is flying out the jumbos from Mumbai to their new owners.
The Tata Group is merging erstwhile AirAsia India into AI Express to form a big budget carrier.And Vistara is being merged into AI to form a big full service airline something causing tremendous heartburn in employees of the former.
“Air India now places the ‘AI’ code on Air India Express (IX) operated flights, allowing AIX to benefit from AI’s global sales and distribution, AI to leverage nine new destinations and hundreds of extra frequencies operated by AIX, and customers to enjoy the convenience of through-checkin and baggage tagging. This follows the earlier rollout of AI code on I5 flights and is a precursor to the placement of the AI code on Vistara flights too,” AI MD-CEO Campbell Wilson on Friday said.
Both the mergers have to be completed within this calendar year. Bringing different work cultures of different airlines has never been easy. India itself has seen erstwhile Indian Airlines merging into erstwhile Air India; Sahara into Jet and Deccan into Kingfisher with disastrous results, especially for promoters of the last two Naresh Goyal and Vijay Mallya. They could not handle one airline merger.
The Tatas are simultaneously handling two mergers of virtually five airlines — erstwhile AI & IA, Vistara, erstwhile AirAsia India and Air India Express. “For the sake of Indian aviation it is crucial Tatas are successful in this task. Given the size of its market, India needs at least 2-3 big airlines (US has three) — IndiGo, Tata Group airlines and 1-2 more solid players that emerge over time,” said a senior pilot.
IndiGo, Tata Group and Akasa have ordered over 1,100 aircraft worth $140 billion at list price between Feb 2023 and this Jan. Accordingly mega airports are being developed in India by the private and public sector.
Nomadic Aviation Group managing partner Steven Giordano told TOI, “A local team of Engineers from the Air India MRO facility and on-site technical representatives for Aersale (the purchaser) have been getting the aircraft ready for flight for several months with inspections, engine runs, and return-to-service actions. The aircraft have been de-registered and placed on the FAA (United States) registry. An FAA Designated Airworthiness Inspector (DAR-T) from the New York field office has/will sign off each special airworthiness certificate prior to flight which will permit ‘one-time’ operations for the purpose of the ferry flight. I believe these aircraft last flew in 2021.” Nomadic Aviation Group is flying out the jumbos from Mumbai to their new owners.