Air India in ‘good position’; to retrofit over 100 planes: CEO Campbell Wilson

PTI, Jun 6, 2024, 8:00 AM IST

New Delhi: 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.

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 retrofitted and new aircraft will be used mainly on busiest routes like San Francisco, New York, Frankfurt and Dubai.

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 the old Air India, and ‘we will be dancing when we are ready to dance’, Wilson said while talking about changes and possible partnerships.

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

In the context of giving more bilateral flying rights, he said, “If the rug is pulled from under us, if we can’t fill the aircraft, we will not take them.”

He was referring to taking wide-body aircraft.