‘A transformative time for Air India’: CEO Campbell Wilson on the airline’s 3-year overhaul

Image used for representative purposes Tata Group-owned Air India has been working on a top-to-bottom transformation for the last three years and has also placed orders for 570 planes, the airline’s CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said on Monday.“It is a transformative time for India and a transformative time for Air India…,” Wilson said, highlighting the airline’s ongoing evolution, reported PTI.Facing persistent financial losses, Air India launched an ambitious restructuring strategy in 2022. Wilson noted that the airline had previously lacked the investment levels typically seen in other carriers, which had hindered its appeal as a Star Alliance partner. “Three years ago, the airline had no active interline arrangements with Star Alliance members,” he said. “Thanks to the commitment we have made to customer experience, fleet, expansion and quality, we have now established interline agreements with all of the Star Alliance carriers,” Wilson added during a discussion at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting held in the national capital.Today, Air India maintains codeshare partnerships with nearly all Star Alliance members. While interline agreements allow airlines to issue and accept tickets for flights operated by partner carriers, codeshare arrangements typically enable an airline to sell tickets for its passengers on partner flights under a single booking.The Air India CEO further claimed that the carrier has been working on a top-to-bottom transformation for the last three years.Wilson had made another statement on Air India’s future operations on Sunday specifically regarding its association with a Turkish firm amid geopolitical tensions. The Airlines announced its plans to reduce its reliance on Turkish Technic for the maintenance of its wide-body aircraft, redirecting operations to alternative Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities, according to CEO Campbell Wilson.“It does take a while to adjust when the circumstances change around us but we are obviously sensitive to the national sentiment and perhaps the national wishes. So, regardless of which country we are talking about, we would clearly take cognisance of what people like us to do and expect us to do,” Wilson said in an interview with PTI.Read more: Air India to shift maintenance work from Turkish firm as it ‘looks to adjust plans’ amid geopolitical tensionsAdditionally in another statement a day later, Wilson revealed that that the airline is likely to wind up its association with Turkish Technic “Air India is likely to wind up its association with Turkish Technic, a global aviation maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) company. The company used to provide maintenance for Boeing 777 aircraft in the airline’s fleet. The airlines said they would find alternatives. The decision has been taken in the national interest, respecting public sentiments,” the Air India CEO told ANI.Currently, Air India operates a fleet of 191 aircraft- including 64 wide-body and 127 narrow-body planes- and serves 112 destinations globally.