New Delhi: Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the airline plans to speed up its retrofit of widebody and narrowbody jets with an eye on profits in 2025. The airline which changed hands to the Tata group after the salt-to-hotels conglomerate won a bid in 2022 rolled out its 5-year transformation plan, Vihaan.AI, with an eye on becoming the dominant full-service carrier in India.
Air India placed an additional order for 100 jets recently after having placed a 480 jet order with Airbus and Boeing last year. The airline plans to accelerate the retrofitment of its wide-and narrow-body jets in 2025. The year 2024 witnessed Air India fulfilling several milestones including the merger of Vistara with Air India and AirAsia India with Air India Express. These mergers “position us as the fourth largest business, by revenue, in the Tata group,” said Wilson.
Air India operations
The airline currently operates 300 jets across Air India and Air India Express. It flew over 60 million passengers on an annual basis covering over 100 destinations in India and abroad. Wilson called 2024 a transformative year for Indian aviation, adding that the airline plans to add more seats and services in 2025.
The airline is aiming for efficiency and profitability and not just consistency. Air India narrowed losses to Rs 4,444.10 crore in FY24 from Rs 11,387.96 crore in FY23. The airline’s turnover rose 23.69 per cent to Rs 38,812 crore year-on-year in FY24.
Air India orders 100 jets
The airline ordered 100 additional jets from Airbus including 10 wide-body A350 aircraft and 90 narrow-body A320 jets. This takes Air India’s overall order book to 570 jets. The airline is also planning to deploy its jets on routes with higher demand and density as part of its larger focus on profitability and volumes.
Tata Group air carrier Air India is planning to progress on the front of aircraft retrofits as well as tighter processes with an eye on profitability, said CEO Campbell Wilson in an email to staff. Biz News Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
