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Air India

Air India is the premier national airline and carrier service of India, which currently offers flight connections to around 70 global and about 100 domestic destinations. Air India was originally envisioned and established by JRD Tata as Tata Airlines in October 1932 and nationalised in 1953. On January 27, 2022, the government of India sold the struggling and debt-ridden airlines back to Tata after a competitive bidding process and a period of 67 years for a sum of Rs 18,000 crores. This included paying Rs 2,700 crores in cash and taking over debts worth Rs 15,300 crore of the company. The deal also included the sale of Air India Express and that of the airline’s ground handling and cargo and logistical services arm AISATS. A merger of AirAsia India and Air India Express is also on the cards. The airline has the famous “Maharajah” as its mascot. Post the takeover, the Tata group put in place a new governing board, appointing IlkerAyci, who was the former chairman of Turkish airlines as the new CEO and MD of the airlines. However, Ayci refused to take up the offer, stating that it would not be honourable to accept this position when his appointment had been “colored” by the Indian media. More

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  • Air India technical incidents such as fuel leaks hit 14-month high

    India's second-largest airline has come under scrutiny from the country's safety regulator since a crash last year killed 260 people.

  • Lufthansa expands Air India partnership under pressure from Gulf

    The move underscores Lufthansa’s growing reliance on India, which has become its No. 2 premium long-haul market after the US.

  • Punjab MP slams Air India over 'broken seats, non-functional screens' on long-haul flights: 'Unacceptable'

    Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla urged Civil Aviation Minister Mr Ram Mohan Naidu to ensure immediate upgradation of Air India long-haul fleet, better ground support & modern facilities for international passengers, especially from Punjab

  • Tata Sons taps former civil aviation secretary to steady Air India amid regulatory pressure

    Pradeep Singh Kharola, a 1985-batch IAS officer, is expected to play a pivotal role in strengthening Air India's engagement with the government

  • Passengers protest as Air India Kochi–Kuwait flight delayed due to technical snag

    According to a Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) spokesperson, the Air India flight scheduled to depart at 4.30 pm was unable to operate due to a technical snag, prompting protests from passengers.

  • UK aviation watchdog seeks details from Air India on B787 fuel control switch issue

    An Air India pilot reported on February 2 a defect with the fuel control switch of the Boeing 787-8 plane after operating the AI132 flight

  • Air India Express expects first post‑privatisation operating profit, shows memo

    The profit forecast offers some respite to the Air India Group, with the full-service carrier Air India facing a financial hit from an airspace ban imposed on Indian airlines by Pakistan.

  • Air India 787 fuel switch: Incorrect procedure may have led to issue; DGCA to look at other aspects

    One of the sources told PTI that the DGCA is likely to look at various aspects related to the incident.

  • Air India, IndiGo aircraft suffer wing collision on ground at Mumbai airport

    The incident involved Air India flight AI 2732, which was pushing back from the bay for its departure to Coimbatore, and IndiGo flight 6E 791, which was taxiing after landing from Hyderabad. Both aircraft were carrying passengers at the time of the collision.

  • 'Fuel check done before officials,' says DGCA after defect reported in Air India's Dreamliner

    Air India has launched a fleet-wide inspection of fuel control switches on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft after a defect was reported on a flight operating from London Heathrow to Bengaluru on Sunday.

  • AI171 crash probe: AAIB assessing various aspects; nothing has been ruled out, says source

    In one of the worst aircraft accidents in India, a total of 260 people, including 241 passengers, died after Air India’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI171 to London Gatwick crashed soon after take off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.

  • Air India converts 15 A321neo orders to A321XLR to boost long-haul routes

    The conversion was announced on the sidelines of Wings India 2026, a major civil aviation event being held in Hyderabad

  • Air India Express to order 30 Boeing 737 Max jets amid growing air travel demand

    The addition of aircraft by Air India Express, which is the low-cost arm of Tata group-owned Air India, comes amid a multi-billion-dollar fleet revamp

  • Air India gets first custom-built Boeing 787-9 aircraft with new-generation cabins

    “Though nearly 100 new and leased aircraft have already joined the Air India group’s fleet since privatisation, this is the first to be designed by and for Air India,” said Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson.

  • Air India cancels New York, Newark flights for January 25, 26 due to severe winter storm warning

    Air India operates daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai to New York

  • Air India braces for record Rs 15,000 crore loss after deadly crash

    Earnings were further hit by Pakistan’s closure of its airspace for Indian airlines following a military clash with India

  • Air India inducts new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, long-haul international flights to begin in February

    Air India, which was loss-making before being acquired by the Tata Group in January 2022, plans to induct five more wide-body aircraft this year, including Airbus A350-1000s and additional Boeing 787-9s.

  • Air India takes delivery of first Dreamliner after privatisation

    This is also the first line fit or custom-made Dreamliner for the airline

  • Air India now allows pets up to 10 kg to fly in-cabin; all you need to know

    Air India updates its pet travel policy: pets up to 10 kg can now fly in-cabin, with reduced booking time and clear carrier rules for stress-free travel.

  • Campbell Wilson and the high-stakes reset of Air India

    Among all stakeholders, none may feel Air India’s turbulence more acutely than Singapore Airlines

  • Crises at top India airlines strain aviation boom

    IndiGo, which controls two-thirds of the market, suffered an unprecedented meltdown when pilot shortages and software glitches stretched its tightly-run schedules to breaking point in early December

  • Air India may get new CEO ahead of 2027 as Tata Sons scouts global talent: Report

    Group chairman N Chandrasekaran is understood to have spoken with chief executives of at least two major carriers based in the UK and the US as potential successors to current Air India CEO Campbell Wilson

  • Air India pilot removed from plane under influence of alcohol; Canada seeks investigation

    Two breathalyser tests conducted by Canadian police at Vancouver International Airport showed the pilot was unfit for duty

  • Air India to resume non-stop Delhi–Rome flights from March 2026 after six-year gap: Here’s all you need to know

    Air India will resume non-stop Delhi–Rome flights from March 25, 2026 after a six-year gap. Check flight frequency, aircraft details, schedules, and booking information.

  • AI Express' first line fit B737-8 MAX plane to land in Delhi on December 29

    Till now, Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- have inducted only white tail aircraft -- since the Tata takeover due to global supply chain woes that have been delaying aircraft deliveries.

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