Tata Group to Expand the Fleet of Air India

Air India, a subsidiary of the Tata Group, intends to expand its fleet within the next few years. According to media reports, the proposed new aluminum birds will be a mix of narrow and wide-bodied models from Airbus and Boeing.

Air India currently operates 113 flights on a mix of Boeing (777-200LR, 777-300ER, and 787-800 Dreamliner) and Airbus (319, 320, 320Neo, and 321) aircraft. It will be fascinating to see how the Tata Group funds the fleet expansion.

It is also reported that Air India has asked its pilots if they want to be trained to fly the A350, implying that the airline intends to include the aircraft in its fleet for long-haul flights. However, officials from Air India were unavailable for comment.

Last year, the Tata Group purchased Air India from the Indian government. Vistara and Air Asia are already part of the group.

Recently, Emirates President Tim Clark has said that it is not easy for an airline to operate in India and if the Tata Group cannot make Air India work, no one else in the country will be able to do so, “Air India should be as big as United Airlines.It should be as big because of its domestic market as well as the non-resident Indians (NRIs) abroad and the amount of economic activity that goes in and out of India. It is a goldmine,” Clark said on Monday.