Air India's reported $1.5 billion funding request from Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines has triggered political scrutiny in Singapore over Temasek's indirect exposure to the Indian carrier
The remarks, made in parliament, cap two weeks of public scrutiny over a request by Air India for about $1.5 billion of fresh equity from owners Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines
Maintains passenger trust key to airline's next phase of growth
Air India's incoming CEO and MD Tewolde Gebremariam on Monday sought the support and cooperation of the airline's staff and called for minimising disruptions. In his first address to the employees, Gebremariam said Air India has a powerful heritage, a strong brand and enormous potential. "If we do the right things at the right time, the sky is the limit." On August 5, Air India announced the appointment of Gebremariam as the CEO and MD after a comprehensive search, overseen by a dedicated board committee. He comes with nearly four decades of experience at Ethiopian Airlines Group, including as its CEO for over 11 years. Addressing the employees on Monday, he said that he is coming from the US and that "we will Make Air India Great Again (MAGA)". Recalling his stint in Mumbai in the 1990s, Gebremariam said at that time, Air India was at the top of the industry and now, he will have the opportunity to again make it a strong brand. Safety-first culture has to be the number one prior
Tewolde Gebremariam joined Air India early last month but will not yet be formally designated chief executive officer and accountable manager as his security clearance is still pending
Services of pilot-in-command who tested positive for drug use terminated
Probe agency AAIB on Friday said the confirmation of drug use by the pilot-in-command of the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight is a "serious concern" and asked the regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to take appropriate action. Issuing the preliminary report on the incident of August 4, wherein the flight, operating with an A320 plane, suddenly lost 300 feet of altitude and left many people injured, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said a detailed probe is underway. "In view of a non-negative result for psychoactive substances for one of the flight crew, it is recommended that DGCA may take appropriate actions as deemed fit to prevent abuse of psychoactive substances," AAIB said in its interim safety recommendation. The flight AI 2379 from Phuket to Delhi was operated with an Airbus A320-251N aircraft bearing registration VTEXO. There were 145 people, including 2 pilots and 6 cabin crew, on board the plane. According to the 10-page preliminary
Air India Express has introduced new uniforms that bring together design elements from different Indian states for its cabin crew and frontline staff. There are also certain changes in the uniforms of pilots of the Tata Group-owned airline. "Launched from 1 September, the uniforms are being introduced across cabin crew, airport services, aviation security, and flight operations teams," Air India Express said in a release on Wednesday. Of the airline's total strength of around 8,000, new uniforms will be issued to over 5,200 staff, excluding pilots, as their uniforms require only a few changes. "Drawing from the same inspiration, the uniforms incorporate design elements influenced by Tamil Nadu's Kanjeevaram, Himachal Pradesh's Pattu, Gujarat's Patola, Assam's Gamosa and Madhya Pradesh's Bagh," the release said. Anchored in vibrant Xpress Blue palette and accented with its signature Xpress Orange, the uniforms were designed in-house by the airline's designer Pooja Krishnan. Accord
Air India's UK passenger traffic has fallen faster than capacity since the AI171 crash, highlighting the combined impact of weaker demand, airspace restrictions and geopolitical disruptions
A statement from Temasek, which is a stakeholder in Singapore Airlines, comes against the backdrop of concerns raisedabout the carrier's investment in Air India
Singapore Oppn lawmaker Kenneth Tiong said Air India's $1.5 bn funding request is not only matter for private shareholders, given Singapore Airlines' stake and Temasek's majority ownership of carrier
Air India on Wednesday said it has entered into an interline partnership with Bhutanese flag carrier Drukair-Royal Bhutan Airlines to offer passengers seamless travel on each other's network and strengthen connectivity between the two South Asian neighbours. With this collaboration, Tata group-owned Air India said it now provides seamless connectivity to nearly all countries in the SAARC region through its own or partner network. Apart from India and Bhutan, other countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. An interline arrangement is a pact to issue and accept tickets for flights that are operated by the partner airline. When selling an interline ticket, the operating airlines' flight numbers are used. The partnership with the Bhutanese carrier enables passengers to benefit from a single-ticket itinerary combining Air India and Drukair flights, ensuring a seamless end-to-end ..
The carrier and its budget unit Air India Express posted combined losses of $2.33 billion in the fiscal year ended March, more than double the prior year's losses
An Air India flight from Delhi suffered a bird hit while landing at the Patna airport on Monday morning, prompting authorities to conduct a runway inspection, an official said. The Delhi-Patna flight, with 164 passengers on board, was about to land when the incident took place at 7:44 am, he said. "The pilot of Air India flight AI 1741 reported a suspected bird strike. After the plane landed, the authorities carried out a runway inspection," the airport official said. "There was no disruption of flight operations at the airport due to the incident. All passengers are safe," he said. The official said that bird strikes are not unusual, particularly during the rainy season when avian activity tends to increase. He also said that a committee conducts monthly inspection to monitor avian and animal activities around the airport. "Based on the inspection, we prepare reports highlighting the areas where cleaning is required," the official added.
Today's opinion pieces examine India's persistent demand for cash, aviation safety, the coming leadership change at Tata Sons, the impact of US-China trade and life inside Tihar
The latest incident comes just a year after the fatal Boeing 787 Air India crash, which is yet to find a closure with no clarity on what caused the catastrophic accident in Ahmedabad just seconds afte
The appointments come as the airline, New Zealand's national carrier, navigates delayed aircraft deliveries, persistent engine problems and elevated fuel costs stemming from the West Asia conflict
The pilots have been removed from the duty roster and their samples sent for confirmatory tests as Air India continues its one-time mandatory screening exercise
Two pilots of the Air India Group have failed the initial drug test as their results came "non-negative" and their samples have been sent for confirmatory tests, according to a source. On August 13, Air India and Air India Express started mandatory psychoactive substance testing of all their pilots, expanding checks beyond regulatory requirements. These tests were made mandatory following the August 4 incident, when the captain of an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight, that suddenly lost altitude, tested positive for marijuana. The source on Monday said psychoactive substance tests have been completed for around 400 pilots of the Air India Group so far. Of them, the initial screening test results have come "non-negative" for two pilots, the source said. Specific details could not be immediately ascertained. There was no official comment from Air India. The two Tata Group-owned airlines have more than 5,000 pilots. The comprehensive screening covers substances and medications prohibi
All scheduled flights shift to Bhogapuram from August 17 as Visakhapatnam Airport ends commercial operations; old VTZ code now represents new airport