Aloke Singh to head Air India's low-cost airlines January 1

The new appointments are part of an organisational revamp announced today by Air India

Aloke Singh will head Air India’s low-cost airlines, while AirAsia India’s existing CEO Sunil Bhaskaran will take charge of a new aviation training academy as part of an organisational revamp announced on Thursday.

The Tata group runs four airlines — Air India, Air India Express, AirAsia India, and Vistara. As part of consolidation exercise, Air India Express and AirAsia India will merge into a single, low-cost airline. Vistara, too, be will be merged with Air India, creating a single full-service carrier. 

Both these mergers are awaiting regulatory approvals, and all four airlines are operating separately.

Singh, who is the CEO of Air India Express, will be the sole CEO of Air India LCC airlines effective January 1, the airline’s chief executive officer, Campbell Wilson, wrote in a staff note on Thursday. Bhaskaran will take over his new role on the same date.

Singh joined Air India Express in November 2020 and is leading the airline’s recovery in the post-Covid period. He was also instrumental in developing dedicated cargo business in the airline, which accounts for about 5 per cent of its revenue.

“A single CEO will provide the clarity and singular accountability necessary to navigate the (merger) process,” Wilson said.

According to an aviation analytics firm, Air India Express is operating 603 flights a week to and from 32 domestic and international cities. In December last year, it operated about 531 flights a week to and from 34 domestic and international cities.

Bhaskaran will lead the training academy, which is a new initiative for the Tata group. The academy will rival biggest and the best anywhere in the world, Wilson wrote.

“Over the coming years, ambitious new Air India and aviation industry generally will require thousands of home-grown pilots, engineers, cabin crew, airport managers and other function specialists. As India’s flagship airline, we have the need and duty to develop this talent,” Wilson added.