Committed to turning Air India into top-class airline in the world, says N Chandrasekaran

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran once again reiterated his commitment to transform Air India into a top-class airline and delivering exceptional service and performance on a global scale. The loss-making Air India was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022, and is undergoing an ambitious five-year transformation plan. In 2024, Air India completed the merger of Vistara with itself as well as integration of Air India Express and AIX Connect was also done.

N Chandrasekaran was responding to a query during a free side chat with TVS Supply Chain Solutions Ltd Managing Director Ravi Viswanathan at the Global Alumni Meet of NIT Trichy said,” My commitment is to take every effort to make Air India, an absolute top-class airline in the world. In terms of the hardware, the flight experience, customer experience, technology and in every which way,” as reported by news agency PTI.

On a lighter note, N Chandrasekaran appealed to the audience gathered at the venue to urge the aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus to deliver the aircraft as per the orders made by Air India. 'You all need to help me by pushing Boeing and Airbus to deliver me the planes,' he said.

Air India Group has a total order of 470 planes — 250 from Airbus and 220 from Boeing. In December 2024, Air India placed an order for 100 more additional wide-body A350 and 90 narrow body A320 aircraft including A321 neo.

The Tata Group took complete control of Air India from the government, nearly 69 years after it was taken from the conglomerate.

Meanwhile in another related development, Air India on Wednesday rolled out Wi-Fi internet connectivity services on board domestic and international flights on its widebody Airbus A350 and Boeing 787-9 fleet as well as on select Airbus A321neo aircraft. This makes Air India the first airline to offer such services on flights within India, the airline said.

Accessible on Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones with iOS or Android operating systems, the in-flight Wi-Fi will also allow guests to connect multiple devices simultaneously when above 10,000 feet, it said. The deployment of Wi-Fi on domestic routes follows an ongoing pilot programme on international services operated by the Airbus A350, select Airbus A321 neo and Boeing B787-9 aircraft serving international destinations including New York, London, Paris and Singapore. As with the domestic offer, Wi-Fi is complimentary for an introductory period, Air India said.

*With Agency Inputs