“To transform an organisation which needed large investments both in terms of the infrastructure, people, processes, in every possible area and to build it up and bring it to this level and to continue to work towards building it to a world class airline is a tough and interesting journey… but we are moving at a very good pace,” said Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Air India.
After Tata Group acquired Air India in 2022, the first year focused on fixing the basics to meet customer and industry expectations. Dogra said, “The idea is to transform it from a legacy organisation which has had several issues into a new world class airline. A lot of focus was put on training programmes, recruitment.”
Air India aims to position itself as a “world class global airline” in the competitive $908 billion global aviation market. With an anticipated 4.9 billion travelers globally in 2024, capturing this market is crucial. In response, rival Indigo plans to launch business class on 12 domestic routes from mid-November.
The airline has introduced new amenities in its A350-900 aircraft, already in service on Delhi-London routes. These include updated bedding, chinaware, tableware, and new amenity kits for business and premium economy customers.
Dogra said, “By Feb-March 2025, we will have it all over the world.” The new in-flight experience will also extend to refurbished legacy aircraft over time. Of the 40 A350 aircraft ordered in a $70 billion deal, six have been delivered with the rest expected in phases from 2026.(with ToI inputs)