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In January 2022, the Tata Group announced the completion of a transaction to acquire Air India from the Indian government. His past two years have been eventful for the company, but the path has not been smooth. Disappointment as Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) describes airline response to passenger misconduct as ‘negligent and delayed’, airline fined Rs 1.1 billion for safety violations is also rising. These are not isolated cases, as there are multiple social media posts pointing out unpleasant experiences for passengers. Did Tata cars fail to meet people’s expectations? Amidst the disappointments, the Indian conglomerate experienced milestones and several achievements to its name for the first time.
What went wrong?
After the acquisition, the year was smooth sailing for the airline until incidents of misbehaving passengers came to light. In June 2023, a mid-air incident occurred in which a passenger on an Air India flight was arrested for allegedly defecating and urinating on the floor of the Mumbai-Delhi flight. In a similar incident, an inebriated man allegedly urinated on a female passenger on an Air India flight from New York to Delhi.
In February 2023, chef Sanjeev Kapoor took to social media to express concerns about the type of food being served. “Wake up, @airindiain. Flight 0740 from Nagpur to Mumbai. Cold chicken his tikka with watermelon, cucumber, tomato and sev. Sandwich with a tiny filling of shredded cabbage with mayonnaise. Sponge with sugar syrup. glazed with sweet cream and yellow,” he tweeted. Another added: “Really!!! Is this what Indians should eat for breakfast??” He concluded the post with a few photos of the food he received.
Fast forward to January 2024, and the airline once again came under public ire as social media platforms were flooded with complaints from passengers expressing dissatisfaction with their experience with Air India. A passenger paid Rs 450,000 for his journey from Canada to Delhi but was dissatisfied with the overall experience as he had to face multiple issues. “We were on an Air India flight from Delhi to Toronto with our two kids. Let me share my travel experience. The three of us were sitting together and unfortunately, most of Everything was not working,” the passenger wrote. In December, another passenger who was flying from Mumbai to Melbourne on Air India’s newly launched service raised multiple concerns, pointing to hardware and software aspects of the airline’s service.
Recently, India’s civil aviation regulator DGCA imposed a fine of Rs 1.1 billion on Air India for safety violations on certain flights. The airline was fined for non-compliance with regulations and safety manuals in the case of oxygen-related compliance requirements for the operation of leased Boeing B777 aircraft. “We do not agree with the order issued by the DGCA. The issues raised have been thoroughly investigated by Air India in conjunction with external experts and it has been concluded that there will be no compromise on safety. “We have reviewed the order in detail and intend to consider the options available to us, including the right to appeal as well as raise the issue with the regulator,” the airline said in a statement. Ta.
A statement issued by the DGCA said, “The investigation prima facie revealed non-compliance by the airline and a show cause notice has been issued to the responsible manager of Air India Limited. The response to the notification was formally considered with respect to the following matters: Provisions established under relevant legal provisions and performance limits set out in key documents established by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). ”
milestone
In a landmark moment for Indian aviation, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia officially launched India and Air India’s first Airbus A350 into service on the first day of Wings India 2024.
“The A350 is a game-changer for Air India,” Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said. “This will not only improve the passenger experience, but also open up new routes and expansion opportunities. This aircraft and product upgrade, along with a complete interior refurbishment of conventional widebody aircraft starting in mid-2024, will , will be a key pillar of Air India’s return to the upper echelons of global aviation. ”
Powered by fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, the Airbus A350 offers optimal performance, environmental benefits and superior passenger comfort. Its impressive range of up to 9,700 nautical miles (18,000 km) enables non-stop flights from India to destinations in the United States, Canada and Australia.
The company also announced the opening of a 600,000 square foot comprehensive aviation training academy in Gurugram, India, the largest in South Asia. The academy is another important step in Air India’s continued transformation and will accelerate the growth of India’s aviation ecosystem over the coming years. The announcement was made at Wings India 2024. Air India is working with OEMs to set up a center for advanced training of pilots in two state-of-the-art simulator training units. More than 20 full flight simulator (FFS) bays have been installed to support Air India’s existing and future Airbus and Boeing fleet and ensure crew readiness ahead of future aircraft deliveries. Masu. The company today signed a joint venture with Airbus to equip the training center with 10 of the 20 FFS bays. The academy will have simulators for the Airbus A320 family, A350, Boeing 777, Boeing 787, and Boeing 737 family. In February last year, Air India, a subsidiary of the Tata Group, ordered a total of 470 aircraft, 250 from Airbus and 220 from Boeing.
In the last two years, Air India has added five domestic routes, 11 international routes and opened five international stations to its network. Air India operates 47 non-stop flights per week and plans to deliver over 30 new aircraft and add over 400 flights per week over the 2023 northern winter schedule (October to March) is. According to data that Wilson shared with his AI employees, Air India has recorded 249 per cent revenue growth in the last two years, while Air India Express’s revenue has increased by 148 per cent over the same period. The full-service airline reported his highest daily revenue of Rs 115 million in August 2023, up 26% year-on-year.
The company is undertaking an ambitious revamp plan under Vihaan.AI to transform the ‘Maharaja of the Skies’, but establishing the Tata Group-owned airline as a world-class airline will require overcoming challenges. and passenger issues need to be addressed.
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