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Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson on Tuesday told the staff that it was the right time to hand over the reins for the airline's next phase of growth. Wilson, who has decided to resign, has been at the helm for four years since mid-2022 and will remain with the airline to ensure a smooth succession. "I am incredibly proud of what you have achieved, especially in the face of unprecedented headwinds in the form of aircraft delivery and supply chain challenges, two wars, crippling airspace closures and fuel prices and, most acutely, tragedy," Wilson said. He said that it was the right time to hand over the reins of the airline. "With a brief window until bulk deliveries from the nearly 600-strong aircraft order book commence in earnest from 2027, the time is right for me to hand over the reins for the next phase of Air India's rise," Wilson said. The loss-making airline, acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022, has been facing various headwinds
The Air India Group has been significantly impacted by the Middle East conflict and the financial impact is "yet to be fully felt", according to Air India chief Campbell Wilson, who has also stressed the need for having a tighter-than-ever control of unnecessary expenditure. Loss-making Air India and Air India Express have been grappling with operational disruptions like other airlines since the start of the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran on February 28. "In the three weeks since the conflict started, we have had to cancel around 2,500 flights to the region. As of today, we can operate only around 30 per cent of our normal Middle East schedule because airports and/or airspace are closed, or are assessed to be beyond our safety threshold," Wilson said in a message to the staff on Friday. The airline's flights to the UK, Europe, and North America, are also taking longer flight paths due to airspace restrictions in the region, resulting in more fuel consumption. Wilson sa
Air India and Air India Express will operate 80 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the West Asia region on March 14. The ongoing conflict in the region, involving the US, Israel and Iran, has significantly disrupted flight operations. According to a statement, both airlines will operate their respective scheduled services to and from Jeddah and Muscat on March 14 (Saturday) -- a total of 18 flights. "In addition to the scheduled services, Air India and Air India Express would operate a total of 62 non-scheduled flights to and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, subject to availability of slots and other prevailing conditions at the departure stations at the time," it said. Air India will operate one round-trip from Delhi and two round-trips from Mumbai to Jeddah, while Air India Express will operate one flight each from Kozhikode and Mangaluru to Jeddah and back. "Air India Express will also operate its scheduled services to Muscat, including one ...
An Air India Express aircraft operating its Hyderabad-Phuket (Thailand) flight suffered a nose-wheel issue at Phuket Airport, the airline said on Wednesday. Authorities suspended flight operations at Phuket airport following the incident since the aircraft is stuck on the runway, sources said. The number of passengers onboard the Boeing 737-Max8 aircraft was not immediately known. "We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on March 11 experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport," Air India Express said in a statement. Nose wheel is a critical component of an aircraft's landing gear system. Flight IX 938 took off from Hyderabad at 6.42 am instead of its scheduled departure time of 6.20 am, and landed at Phuket International Airport 11.40 am local time, according to flight tracking website flightradar24.com. "The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned," Air India Express said in the statement.
Air India and Air India Express will operate a total of 60 flights to and from cities in the Middle East, including 32 non-scheduled services connecting the UAE. Amid the escalating Middle East conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, airlines are operating services in a calibrated manner as there are airspace restrictions and closures in the region. On Tuesday, Air India and Air India Express will together operate 14 flights to and from Jeddah, while Air India Express will operate 14 services to and from Muscat. "In addition to the scheduled services, Air India and Air India Express would operate a total of 32 ad hoc non-scheduled flights between Indian cities and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 10 March 2026, subject to the availability of slots and other conditions prevailing at the respective point of departure at the time," a statement said on Monday. These 32 flights will connect to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al-Khaimah from different Indian cities. Akasa Air sai
Air India Express and Akasa Air on Friday announced that they will operate special flights to Ahmedabad, providing more travel options to the city for the T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand on March 8. "To facilitate cricket fans travelling to witness the final, the airline will operate additional flights to Ahmedabad from Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. These flights have been scheduled in response to the sharp increase in demand for travel to the city as fans across the country plan to attend the highly anticipated match," Air India Express said in a release. The airline also said it continues to closely monitor booking trends and might consider further capacity enhancements based on demand. Akasa Air will operate special direct flights between Mumbai and Ahmedabad on March 8 and 9, complementing its existing network between the two cities. "SkyLights will illuminate the cabin with the colours of the Indian tricolour, leveraging the dynamic lighting featur