Air India takeover by Tatas is saddled with older aircraft and poor cabin products

Air India is the largest among Indian carriers in the international skies. However, foreign airlines have a larger market share and carried more passengers than Air India till regular international flights were allowed before COVID.

Air India’s new journey to return to its lost glory under the Tata Group will be fraught with issues such as older aircraft, inferior cabin products and human resources issues, but experts and its global competitors do see the airline becoming a challenger in the international space.

Currently, Air India is the largest among Indian carriers in the international skies. However, foreign airlines have a larger market share and carried more passengers than Air India till regular international flights were allowed before Covid-19.

“If the Tatas are able to rebuild the airline to its past glory, which is going to be a herculean task, there is a huge opportunity for Air India in terms of international traffic that is currently carried by various global carriers,” said Suresh Nair, an aviation veteran working with various domestic and foreign airlines for over two decades. “Air India’s success on the India-US routes is a clear indicator that there is a demand for direct flights on Indian airlines provided it meets the expectations of the flying public.” economictimes.indiatimes.com