Air India Attracts Partnership Interest From Several Airlines

With new management under private ownership, Air India seems ready to forge ahead, with several other airlines also willing to join it on its new journey. At an event recently, Air India’s CEO commented that the carrier is attracting interest from many carriers who wish to partner with the airline in its growth phase.

Airlines seeking partnership with Air India

At the 67th Assembly of Presidents of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), Air India’s Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson said that Air India is attracting interest from various airlines that want to partner with the carrier. Mint quotes him as saying,

“Many airlines are seeking partnerships because they see the benefit in connecting with the carrier from which most of the source traffic is coming. At present, 37 million people are there in the diaspora, but we don’t serve them particularly well. That is going to change.”

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Indeed, Air India has undergone several changes recently, from fleet expansion and network reshuffling to several operational changes. While there are still miles to cover, Air India has given itself a few years to resolve its long-standing issues. Its upcoming merger with Vistara is also expected to enhance its overall operational capabilities.

Also from Simple Flying: Codeshare agreements: Everything you need to know

Joining forces

Wilson’s comments come hot on the heels of Air India announcing an interline agreement with Alaska Airlines. The US is an important market for Air India, and a partnership with Alaska hints at its ambitious plans for the country. Air India has recently enhanced operations in the US, and there are already talks of other key cities, such as Boston and Los Angeles, being included in its network.

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Air India already has codeshare deals with several global airlines, including LOT Polish, Egypt Air, Singapore Airlines, Air Mauritius, avianca, SriLankan Airlines, TAP Portugal, Croatia Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Swiss, and Lufthansa.

Lufthansa is closely observing Air India’s recent progress and said last year that it wants to explore more opportunities with the Indian carrier. There were also reports earlier this year that Lufthansa and Air France-KLM could join forces with Air India to acquire the government-owned maintenance repair and operations (MRO) company AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL).

Becoming the carrier of choice

Wilson also commented on the increasing strength of Air India and how offering quality service to passengers is one of its key aims. He said that one of the biggest reasons some foreign airlines got so strong in India was that Air India was quite weak.

Photo: Rahul Sapra | Shutterstock

The Indian carrier now aims to increase its domestic and international network massively in the coming years to offer passengers many more convenient flying options to reclaim lost market share.

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Source: Mint