Air India appears to be on a roll these days after landing within the hands of the Tata Group. A brand new statement from CEO Campbell Wilson shows just how serious AI is about becoming rising to the highest once more. After announcing a historic recent aircraft order from Boeing and Airbus value $68 billion, the airline has shifted its give attention to hiring people to man the brand new planes.
Hiring cabin crew and pilots
Around a month ago, the flag carrier had put out adverts saying it’ll hire over 1,000 pilots over the approaching years. All a part of a five-year transformation plan meant to overhaul the Maharaja.
The carrier has wasted no time in implementing that promise and set out on a hiring spree, taking over as many as 600 recent employees each month including pilots and cabin crew members. Wilson told PTI in an interview this sort of hiring pace will proceed until the tip of this yr, and increase again within the second half of 2024. Naturally, the hiring pace is predicted to match the speed at which recent aircraft are inducted into the AI fleet.
Photo: Airbus
Wilson said,
“Within the case of cabin crew members, it’s about ten times and within the case of pilots, it’s about five times on an annual rate of the pre-privatised airline.”
Air India is predicted to start out taking deliveries of recent airframes from its massive 470 aircraft order, with each narrow- and widebody aircraft joining its fleet this yr. The narrowbody additions will are available in July or August, while six Airbus A350s can be the primary recent widebodies to hitch the AI fleet from October 2023 onwards.
The longer term for Air India
Loss-making Air India was sold to the Tata Group in early 2022, which already owns parts in two other Indian airlines. With the AI acquisition, the Tatas now have 4 airlines under them and are working towards consolidating them into two: a full-service carrier and one other low-cost airline.
Together with AI’s five-year transformation plan, efforts are also underway to merge it with Vistara, the one other full-service Indian airline. Partly owned by Singapore Airlines, Vistara can be absorbed into AI and SIA will hold a 25.1% stake in the brand new entity. Alternatively, low-cost carriers AI Express and AirAsia India can be merged to form a stronger budget airline.
Photo: Soos Jozsef | Shutterstock
The Tata Group has big plans to consolidate its investments within the Indian aviation industry at a time when travel demand is predicted to only go up. The truth is, India’s aviation sector is predicted to be among the many fastest-growing markets globally for the foreseeable future.
But that’s to not say the rising tide will lift all boats. Because the recent Go First bankruptcy saga shows, being successful even in a booming market will not be a given. There are a variety of aspects at play and it’ll be interesting to see how high the brand new Air India flies.
What do you make of Air India’s hiring spree? Tell us your thoughts within the comments.