AI may again defer joining Star Alliance

This article has been corrected. Please read the clarification at the end of the article.

Air India’s hope of joining the Star Alliance, the largest of the global airline networks, by December may be further delayed, till March.

The integration of its internal information technology (IT) platforms would only be completed by then. A uniform passenger scheduling system would give AI a single code, a must for entry into the Star Alliance.

“The IT integration of erstwhile Air India and Indian Airlines can only happen by March next year,” said a senior AI official, who did not want to be identified.

Integrating the IT of the two erstwhile companies would provide AI with integrated product delivery, passenger handling and sales and marketing functions.

The airline’s current deadline to join the alliance expires in December, after being extended from June this year. “Our deadline will have to be extended further by three months, which we are sure we will get done,” added the official.

Joining the Star Alliance, which has 26 carriers as members, will make AI part of a network that operates around 19,500 flights every day from as many as 1,071 airports in 171 countries.

Long after Indian Airlines was merged into AI, the international and domestic services of the merged carrier continue to operate under different codes, AI and IC. The carriers also have distinct information technology platforms, powered by Unisys (AI) and IBM (IA).

AI has given a Rs 800-crore contract to Societe International Telecommunication Aeronautics (SITA), to integrate the ticketing systems and then operate it for 10 years.

A CORRECTION
This article had wrongly suggested that the contract was given to SITA, a travel agency. The actual contract has been given to SITA (Societe International Telecommunication Aeronautics), a company specialising in transport communications and information technology solutions. The error is regretted.