New Delhi [India], November 28 : Air India's successful merger of four airlines within two years, along with its ongoing transformation, demonstrates its ability to manage significant changes, said Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, on Thursday.
During a media briefing, Wilson explained that the merger process had been two years in the making. A critical aspect of this process was aligning the operating procedures and manuals across all four airlines. In other countries, this could have taken approximately five to eight years, he noted.
Recently, Air India completed its merger with Vistara, while Air India Express Ltd and AIX Connect Pvt Ltd (formerly AirAsia India) also merged under the group's banner.
"We had to harmonise the operating procedures across the four airlines. Once we had achieved that, we needed to train all staff on the new procedures so that, when the Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) were integrated, employees could collaborate seamlessly, regardless of the airline they came from. This ensured the entire operation could run smoothly," Wilson said.
He also highlighted the addition of around 9,000 new employees during this period, which significantly reduced the average age of staff from 54 to 35. The average age of cabin crew is now 28.
Wilson further shared that the group currently operates 300 aircraft, employs 30,000 staff, and conducts 1,200 daily flights. These figures underscore the scale of the new Air India group.
Air India now commands a 29% share of India's domestic market, up from single digits at the time of privatisation. It holds a 55% market share on metro routes and a 40% share on the top 120 routes, which together account for 60% of domestic traffic, he added.
The airline's fleet comprises 120 aircraft with business class and 70 wide-body aircraft flying to 48 international destinations. Additionally, Air India has placed an order for 470 new aircraft and invested $200 million in infrastructure.