With a worldwide network of passenger and cargo services, Air India continues to be India’s national Airline. The history of the airline can be traced back to October 15, 1932. Air India was earlier known as Tata Airlines. At the time of its inception, Tata Airlines consisted of one Puss Moth, one Leopard Moth, one palm-thatched shed, one whole time pilot, one part-time engineer and two apprentice-mechanics. Business tycoon J.R.D. Tata, the father of Civil Aviation in India and founder of Air India, took off from Drigh Road Airport, Karachi, in a tiny, light single-engine de Havilland Puss Moth, on his flight to Mumbai via Ahmadabad. On 29 July 1946, Tata Airlines was converted into a Public Company, under the name of Air India.On March 8, 1948, Air India International Limited was formed to start Air India’s international operations. On June 8, 1948, Air India started its international services, with a weekly flight from Mumbai to London via Cairo and Geneva with a Lockheed Constellation aircraft. In early 1950s, due to deteriorating financial condition of various airlines, the Government decided to nationalize air transport. On August 1, 1953, two autonomous corporations were created. Indian Airlines was formed with the merger of eight domestic airlines to operate domestic services, while Air India International was established to operate the overseas services. The word 'International' was dropped in 1962. With effect from March 1, 1994, the airline has been functioning as Air India Limited.Air India's worldwide network today covers 44 destinations by operating services with its own aircraft and through code-shared flights. Important destinations covered by Air India are Bangkok, Hongkong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Dar-es-Salam, Nairobi, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Birmingham, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Muscat, Riyadh, Kuwait, Los Angeles, Chicago, Newark, New York, and Toronto. Air India’s fleet consists of 38 aircrafts. These include Airbus A310-300, Airbus A330-200, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787-8.

The national flag carrier of India with a worldwide network of passenger and cargo services, Air India is the only state-owned airline in the country, having recently merged with Indian Airlines. With its main base at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai and Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, Air India connects 146 international and domestic destinations around the world, including 12 gateways in India with Air India Express, a fully-owned subsidiary of Air India. Air India plans to join Star Alliance and has ordered 27 Boeing 787 (+7 options), to be delivered after 2009.In 1932, Air India began its journey under the aegis of Tata Airlines, a division of Tata Sons Ltd. (now Tata Group). Following World War II in 1946, regular commercial service was restored in India and Tata Airlines became a public limited company under the name of Air India. Under the Air Corporations Act of 1953, the Government nationalised the air transportation industry and Air India International Limited was born. In 1960, Air India flew its first international flight to New York via London. In 1962, Air India became the world's first all-jet airline and its name was officially truncated to Air India. In 2007, Air India and Indian Airlines merged into one airline, with its name remaining Air India. Air India is now a part of Star Alliance and is supposed to be joined by Alliance Air and Air India Express soon.

Air India Limited[2] (Hindi: एअर इंडिया) is the national flag carrier airline of India, flying a worldwide network of passenger and cargo services. Air India is state-owned, and administered as part of the National Aviation Company of India Limited - which was created in 2007 to facilitate Air India's merger with Indian Airlines.[3] The main bases of operation of the airline are Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Air India is the 16th largest airline in Asia,[4] serving 25 destinations worldwide, and, with its affiliated carriers, serves over 100 cities. Air India has codeshare agreements with twelve other international airlines.[5] In 2010, Air India is expected to join Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance.[6][7]

Air India was founded by J. R. D. Tata in 1932 as Tata Airlines, a division of Tata Sons Ltd. (now Tata Group). On 15 October 1932, J. R. D. Tata flew a single-engined De Havilland Puss Moth carrying air mail (postal mail of Imperial Airways) from Karachi's Drigh Road Aerodrome to Bombay's Juhu Airstrip via Ahmedabad. The aircraft continued to Madras via Bellary piloted by former Royal Air Force pilot Nevill Vintcent.
Following the end of World War II, regular commercial service was restored in India and Tata Airlines became a public limited company on 29 July 1946 under the name Air India. In 1948, after the Independence of India, 49% of the airline was acquired by the Government of India, with an option to purchase an additional 2%. In return, the airline was granted status to operate international services from India as the designated flag carrier under the name Air India International. On 8 June 1948, a Lockheed Constellation L-749A named Malabar Princess and registered VT-CQP took off from Bombay bound for London via Cairo and Geneva. This marked the airline's first long-haul international flight, soon followed by service in 1950 to Nairobi via Aden.
On 1 August 1953, the Government of India exercised its option to purchase a majority stake in the carrier and Air India International Limited was born as one of the fruits of the Air Corporations Act that nationalised the air transportation industry. At the same time all domestic services were transferred to Indian Airlines. In 1954, the airline took delivery of its first L-1049 Super Constellations and inaugurated services to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore.
Air India International entered the jet age in 1960 when its first Boeing 707-420, named Nandadevi and registered VT-DJJ, was delivered. Jet services to New York City via London were inaugurated that same year on 14th May 1960. On 8 June 1962, the airline's name was officially truncated to Air India. On 11 June 1962, Air India became the world's first all-jet airline.

[edit] Expansion

Air India Headquarters at Nariman Point in Mumbai.

Boeing 747-400 in 1970-2007 Palace In The Sky livery.
In 1970, Air India moved its offices to downtown Mumbai/Bombay. The next year, the airline took delivery of its first Boeing 747-200B named Emperor Ashoka and registered VT-EBD. This coincided with the introduction of the 'Palace In The Sky' livery and branding. A distinctive feature of this livery is the paintwork around each aircraft window, in the cusped arch style of windows in Indian palaces. In 1986 Air India took delivery of the Airbus A310-300; the airline is the largest operator of this type in passenger service. In 1988, Air India also took delivery of two Boeing 747-300Ms in mixed passenger-cargo configuration. In 1989, to supplement its "Flying Palace" livery, Air India introduced a new "sun" livery that was mostly white but had a golden sun on a red tail. Only applied to around a half of Air India's fleet, the new livery did not succeed, as the Indian flying public complained about the phasing out of the classic colours. The new livery was dropped after two years and the old scheme was returned.
In 1993, Air India took delivery of the flagship of its fleet when the first Boeing 747-400 named Konark and registered VT-ESM made history by operating the first non-stop flight between New York City and Delhi. In 1994 the airline was registered as Air India Ltd. In 1996, the airline inaugurated service to its second US gateway at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. In 1999, the airline opened its dedicated Terminal 2-C at the newly renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai.
In 2000, Air India introduced services to Shanghai, as well as to Los Angeles and Newark. On May 2004, Air India launched a wholly-owned low cost airline called Air India Express. Air India Express connecting cities in India with the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Subcontinent. Air India expanded its international routes to include non-stop flights from Ahmedabad and also expanded its international operations from Bangalore and Hyderabad.
On 8 March 2004, International Women's Day, the airline operated an "All Women Flight" from Mumbai to Singapore.[8] Captain Rashmi Miranda, who became Air-India's first female Commander in November 2003 and Captain Kshmata Bajpai piloted the flight, an Airbus A310-300 aircraft. The flight dispatch activities relating to this flight were also coordinated by a female Flight Dispatcher, Vasanti Kolnad. The Safety Audit on board was also conducted by another woman, Harpreet D Singh. The airline has seventeen female pilots, including five trainee pilots.
In 2007, the Government announced that Air India would be merged with Indian Airlines. As part of the merger process, a new company called the National Aviation Company of India Limited (or NACIL) was established, into which both Air India (along with Air India Express) and Indian Airlines (along with Alliance Air) have been merged.[9] Once the merger is complete, the airline - which will continue to be called Air India - will continue to be headquartered in Mumbai. It will be India's largest airline after the merger, with 100 aircraft,along with 59 orders and 89 destinations(including 50 domestic destinations and 39 international routes)excluding its and Indian Airlines' subsidiaries.
Star Alliance announced on 13 December 2007 that it had invited Air India to join as a member.[10][11] Air India is set to become a full Star Alliance member in 2010.
India has the world's fastest growing airline industry.[12] However, increasing fuel prices resulted in a 4% decline in air traffic in June 2008.[13] Increasing competition of other major Indian carriers like Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines has pushed Air India to third place in India in terms of market share. In July 2008, it was reported that Air India was seeking US$534 million in aid from the Indian government to cover its losses.[14] In the wake of rising fuel prices, the airline decided to hike its air fare in June 2008.[15]
Air India plans to open up new routes to Africa (Mauritius, Johannesburg/Durban, Lagos), Asia (Beijing, Taipei), Europe (Birmingham, Geneva/Zürich, Moscow, Rome/Milan), North America (Boston, Dallas/Houston, San Francisco, Vancouver, Washington, D.C.) and Oceania (Melbourne, Sydney)[16][17][18][19].
On 1 March 2009 Air India made Frankfurt Airport its Global Aviation Hub for its North American Operations.

[edit] Financial Crisis
Around 2006-07, the airlines began showing signs of financial distress. The combined losses for Air India and Indian Airlines in 2006-07 was Rs 771 crores. After the merger of the airlines, this went up to Rs 7200 crores by March 2009.[20] This was followed by restructuring plans which are still in progress.[21]. In July 2009, SBI Capital Markets Ltd was appointed to prepare a road map for the recovery of the airline.[22] The carrier cancelled the purchase of six Boeing 777-300ER in July 2009 [23] and sold three Airbus A300 and one Boeing 747-300M in March 2009 for $ 18.75 million to survive the financial crunch[24].

[edit] Destinations

Air India destinations with Star Alliance. India Air India destinations Star Alliance destinations
Main article: Air India destinations
See also: NACIL destinations, Air India Express#Destinations, Air India Regional destinations, Indian Airlines destinations, and Air India Cargo#Destinations
Air India serves 9 domestic destinations and 16 international destinations in 10 countries. Together with its subsidiaries the group connects 93 destinations worldwide in 24 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

[edit] Fleet

Airbus A330-200

Boeing 747-400

Boeing 777-200LR

Boeing 777-300ER
See also: NACIL#Fleet, Indian Airlines#Fleet, Air India Cargo#Fleet, Air India Express#Fleet, and Air India Regional#Fleet
Each subsidiary maintains a separate fleet of aircraft. Air India operates an all wide-body fleet composed of Airbus A310, Airbus A330, Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 aircraft.[25]
Air India Fleet
Aircraft
In Service
Orders
Passengers(First/Business/Economy)
Routes
Notes
Airbus A310-300
42
–
201 (0/20/181)256 (0/??/???)
Africa, Asia————————Dammam, Hong Kong, Nairobi, Osaka, Shanghai
2 are ex-Singapore Airlines.Service exit: 2010.
Airbus A330-200
2
–
279 (0/24/255)
Asia, Europe————————Paris, Tokyo
ex-Novair aircraft.Service exit: 2010.
Boeing 747-400
6
–
423 (12/26/385)
Asia, Europe, North America————————Frankfurt, Newark, Riyadh
Service exit: 2016.
Boeing 777-200
1
–
258 (12/49/197)
Asia————————Dubai, Jeddah
ex-United Airlines aircraft.Service exit: 2011.
Boeing 777-200ER
3
–
292 (8/21/263)
Asia, Europe, North America————————Dubai, Jeddah, London, Toronto
ex-United Airlines aircraft.Service exit: 2010.
Boeing 777-200LR
7
1
238 (8/35/195)
North America————————New York City
Deliveries through 2009.
Boeing 777-300ER
6
3
342 (4/35/303)
Europe, North America————————Chicago, Frankfurt, London
Deliveries through 2009.
Boeing 787-8
–
27
??? (0/??/???)
TBD
Service entry: June 2010[26]
Total
31
31
The average age of Air India's fleet is 9.7 years as of June 2009 (excluding freighter aircraft).
See also: Air India's retired fleet

[edit] Affiliated Carriers
Indian Airlines has a fleet of 74 aircraft (18 Airbus A319-100s, 43 Airbus A320-200s and 13 Airbus A321-200s) with seventeen additional aircraft on order.
Air India Express has a fleet of 23 Boeing 737-800s aircraft with two additional aircraft on order.
Air India Regional has a fleet of 11 aircraft (7 ATR 42-320s and 4 Bombardier CRJ-700ERs).
Air India Cargo has a fleet of 10 aircraft (4 Airbus A310-300(F)s and 6 Boeing 737-200/Adv(F)s).

An advertisement in Times Square for travel on the Boeing 777-200LR from New York City to Mumbai

[edit] Livery

Air India Mascot "The Maharaja"
Air India's current livery was unveiled in May 2007.[27] It is a cross between Air India's old predominately red and white livery and Indian Airlines's livery. The new livery was first seen in July 2007 on a new Boeing 777-200LR when Air India and Indian Airlines formally became one airline. The fleets of both airlines will be painted in the new livery.
The logo of the combined airline is a Flying Swan with the Konark Chakra placed inside it. The Flying Swan has been adapted from Air India’s characteristic logo, ‘The Centaur’ whereas the Konark Chakra is reminiscent of the Indian Airlines logo. The logo is featured on the tail of the aircraft and the Konark Chakra is on the engines. Colours are red for “Flying Swan” and orange for “Konark Chakra".
While the base colour for the new livery is ivory, Air India's characteristic red has been retained. Running parallel to each other are orange and red speed lines from the front door to the rear door. The brand name ‘Air India’ runs across the tail of the aircraft.

[edit] Passenger operations

The airline carried 4.44[28] million passengers during 2005-2006 and achieved a load factor of 66.2 per cent lower than the 69.8 per cent load factor recorded in the preceding year. Air India offers three classes of service – First Class, Executive Class and Economy Class. Flat bed seats are offered for First and Executive Class passengers. Air India’s frequent flyer programme is called Flying Returns and is shared with Indian Airlines and other subsidiaries. Aside from flight mileage, members receive seat discounts, class upgrades, free hotel stays and other benefits. The airline also offers luxury lounges in its ground terminals for its First and Executive class travelers in select destinations within India. Air India has duty free sales on board its flights, named "Sky Bazaar".

[edit] Fleet

[edit] Airbus A310-300
Airbus A310-300s fly mainly to medium haul destinations such as Dammam, Hong Kong, Nairobi, Osaka and Shanghai.
Two Airbus A310-300 aircraft were previously owned by Singapore Airlines and as such feature the older two-class Singapore Airlines configuration. Business and Economy class seats are standard and no personal televisions (PTVs) are provided in either class. These aircraft will eventually be replaced by the Boeing 787-8.

[edit] Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400s fly medium haul destinations such as Frankfurt, Riyadh and long haul destinations like Newark.
Boeing 747-400s are configured in a three class configuration with new interior. First class features a flat bed seat, with up to 180 degree recline. Business class also has premium seats, with added recline and cushioning. Economy class features 32-34 inch seat pitch.
All Boeing 747-400 aircraft have undergone complete refurbishment, adding enhancements such as widescreen PTVs with Audio-Video On Demand (AVOD) in all classes and improved seats in First and Business class. The cabin is upgraded with all new economy seats, cushions and upholstery. New overhead bins and aircraft side panels, a new coat of paint for the side trims, new cockpit trims and new toilets are part of the refurbished aircraft.[29]
In-flight entertainment on the refurbished Boeing 747-400s features the Thales TopSeries i4000 Entertainment system. This system features 10.4" widescreen displays for First and Business Class seats and 8.4" widescreen PTVs in Economy Class seats.
The Boeing 747-400 began service in late 1993 and were primarily brought in to replace Air India's aging fleet of Boeing 747-200Bs. They have been named after places of cultural interest in India.
All Boeing 747-400 aircraft are due to be retired by 2016, and will be replaced by Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

[edit] Boeing 777

First Class seats onboard the Boeing 777-200LR
Boeing 777s fly to medium haul destinations such as Dubai, Frankfurt, Jeddah, London and long haul destinations like Chicago, New York City and Toronto.
Air India operates several variants of the Boeing 777 — the Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER.

Business Class seats onboard the Boeing 777-300ER
The Boeing 777-200 and Boeing 777-200ER in the fleet used to be part of United Airlines, and thus feature United Airlines interiors. All seats in all classes feature a PTV with AVOD, and Business Class and First Class seats are not lie-flat.
Air India's recently delivered fleet of Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft feature new interiors. The airline opted for the Thales TopSeries i5000 entertainment system for in-flight entertainment on board its new Boeing 777-200LRs and Boeing 777-300ERs.[30].
First class features flatbeds with 23 inch widescreen PTVs with AVOD. The seats include an in-seat massage function, USB ports and laptop power port. Business class is the "shell" type and also converts into a completely flat seat. Business class seats feature 15 inch widescreen PTVs with laptop power and USB ports. These 777 aircraft feature Air India's new economy class seats which have 33 to 35 inch seat pitch and 10.6 inch widescreen PTVs with AVOD.

[edit] Maharaja Lounge

Air India's Maharaja Lounge at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport
Maharaja Lounge means "Emperor's Lounge", and is offered to First and Business class passengers. Air India shares lounges with other international airlines at international airports that do not have a Maharaja Lounge available. There are six[31] Maharaja Lounges, each at one of the six major destinations of Air India, which are as following:

[edit] India
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
New Delhi, Delhi
Mumbai, Maharashtra

[edit] International
Hong Kong, China
London, United Kingdom
New York City, United States

[edit] Codeshares
Air India has codesharing agreements with the following airlines[32][33]:
Air India — Codeshare agreements
[show]Airline
Codeshare Routes
Between
And
Aeroflot
Moscow
Delhi, Mumbai
Air France
Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Berlin, Delhi, Frankfurt
Air Mauritius
Mauritius
Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai
Austrian Airlines (SA)
Vienna
Delhi
Emirates
Dubai
Chennai, Kochi
Kuwait Airways
Kuwait
Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram
Lufthansa (SA)
Frankfurt
Amsterdam, Bangalore, Berlin, Chennai, Chicago, Copenhagen, Delhi, Denver, Detroit, Düsseldorf, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Los Angeles, Lyon, Mumbai, Munich, Oslo, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Washington D.C.
Malaysia Airlines
Kuala Lumpur
Bangalore, Hyderabad, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Mumbai
Silk Air
Singapore-Changi
Hyderabad
Singapore Airlines (SA)
Sinagpore-Changi
Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Bangkok, Brisbane, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, Melbourne, San Francisco, Sydney
South African Airways (SA)
Johannesburg
Mumbai
Swiss International Airlines (SA)
Zürich
Delhi, Mumbai
Thai Airways International (SA)
Bangkok-Suvarnabumi
Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Shanghai
Dubai
Chennai
Turkish Airlines (SA)
Istanbul-Atatürk
Delhi, Mumbai
With Air India's own entry into the Star Alliance (SA) expected in 2010,[34] all other codeshare agreements with non-Star Alliance partners may be terminated.[35]

[edit] Awards and Recognitions
Preferred International Airline award for travel and hospitality from Awaz Consumer Awards 2006 [36]
Best International West Bound Airline out of India for three successive years by Galileo Express TravelWorld Award
Best Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative. by Galileo Express TravelWorld Award [37]
Best Short-Haul International Airline by Galileo Express TravelWorld Award 2008[37]
The Mercury Award for the years 1994 and 2003, from the International Flight Catering Association, for finest in-flight catering services.
Amity Corporate Excellence Award instituted by the Amity International Business School, Noida, Uttar Pradesh to honour Corporates with distinct vision, innovation, competitiveness and sustenance.[37]
Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Award[37]
Dun and Bradstreet Award(D&B)- first in terms of revenue out of the top airline companies out of India[37]
Best South Asian Airline award by readers of TTG Asia, TTG China, TTG Mice and TTG-BT Mice China, all renowned Mice and business travel publications.[37]
Cargo Airline of the Year at the 26th Cargo Airline of the Year Awards[38]
The airline entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest evacuation by a civil airliner. Over 111,000 people were evacuated from Amman to Mumbai – a distance of 4,117 km, by operating 488 flights in association with Indian Airlines, from 13 August to 11 October, 1990 – lasting 59 days. The operation was carried out during Persian Gulf War in 1990 to evacuate Indian expatriates from Kuwait and Iraq.
The Montreal Protocol Public Awareness Award was awarded to Air India by the United Nations for environmental protection, especially in the ozone layer.[39]
World's First All-Jet Airline- June 1962
World's Largest Operator of Airbus A310-300
Air India's security department became the first aviation security organisation in the world to acquire ISO 9002 certification (31 January 31 2001).
Air India's Department of Engineering has obtained the ISO 9002 for its Engineering facilities for meeting international standards.

[edit] Air India One

Air India One is the callsign of the official aircraft of the President of India
The callsign Air India One is used when an Air India aircraft is being used by the government of India for the transportation of the Prime Minister or President of India. Normally a Boeing 747-400 aircraft is used for overseas visits.

[edit] Accidents and incidents
Since it began operations, six Air India flights have fatally crashed including one due to a terrorist attack. Air India has a record of 6.82 fatal events per million flights on average.[40]

The Air India Memorial in Toronto, Canada dedicated to the victims of Air India Flight 182.

[edit] 1950s
On 3 November 1950 Air India Flight 245 Malabar Princess a Lockheed L-749A Constellation (registered VT-CQP) carrying 48 passengers and crew was flying on the Bombay-Cairo-Geneva-London route crashed on the Mont Blanc killing all on board.[41][42]
On 11 April 1955 Kashmir Princess a Lockheed L-749A Constellation registered (VT-DEP) was bombed in midair, killing 16 of the 19 aboard[43].

[edit] 1960s
On 24 January 1966 Air India Flight 101 Kanchenjunga a Boeing 707-420 (registered VT-DMN) crashed on Mont Blanc, on the border between France and Italy, killing 117. Among the dead was the noted Indian scientist, Homi J. Bhabha.

[edit] 1970s
On 1 January 1978 Air India Flight 855 Emperor Ashoka a Boeing 747-237B (registered VT-EBD) crashed into the Arabian Sea after takeoff from Sahar International Airport (now Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport) in Mumbai, killing all on board (213 persons; 190 passengers, 23 crew).

[edit] 1980s
On 21 June 1982 Air India Flight 403 Gouri Shankar a Boeing 707-420 (registered VT-DJJ) coming from Kuala Lumpur International Airport via Madras (now Chennai) crashed at Sahar International Airport after a heavy landing during a rainstorm. The fuselage exploded after starting a late go-around. 90 occupants were on the aircraft. 2 of 12 crew members and 15 of 99 passengers were killed in the crash.[44][45]
On 23 June 1985 at 07:13 on Sunday, an explosion in the New Tokyo International Airport (now Narita International Airport) baggage terminal killed two Japanese baggage handlers, and injured four. The Babbar Khalsa Terrorists intended the bomb in that bag for Air India Flight 301 with 177 passengers and crew on board, bound for Bangkok-Don Mueang.
On 23 June 1985 Air India Flight 182 Emperor Kanishka a Boeing 747-237B (registered VT-EFO) was blown up in mid-air, mid-flight by a suitcase-bomb as planted by Babbar Khalsa Terrorists allegedly as revenge for the Indian Government's operation on the Golden Temple on June 1984. The flight was on the first leg on its Montréal-London-Delhi-Bombay flight when it exploded off the coast of Cork, Ireland. The plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. All 307 passengers and 22 crew on board died[46]. After this incident Air India suspended all services to Montréal.

[edit] 1990s
On 7 May 1990 Air India Flight 132 Emperor Vikramaditya a Boeing 747-237B (registered VT-EBO) flying on the London-Delhi-Bombay route and carrying 215 people (195 passengers and 20 crew) touched down at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport after a flight from London's Heathrow Airport. On application of reverse thrust, a failure of the no. 1 engine pylon to wing attachment caused this engine to tilt nose down. Hot exhaustion gasses caused a fire on the left wing. There were no fatalities but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and written off[47].

[edit] Subsidiaries

Air India Express Boeing 737-800
Air India's current subsidiaries are Air India Cargo, a separate division that provides air cargo services with a dedicated fleet, and Air India Express, a low-cost airline that operates flights mainly to the Middle East. With the merger of Indian Airlines and its subsidiary Air India Regional into Air India, these two airlines will also become subsidiaries of Air India.

[edit] Financials
The profitability of Air India as published in the 2004-2005 annual report by Ministry of Civil Aviation with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.
New Delhi: India’s struggling flag carrier, Air India, has put in place a determined turnaround plan, the initial focus of which will be on survival and return it to profits in three years.
Restructuring plans: A file photo of Air India building in Mumbai. Abhijit Bhatlekar / Mint
Air India, operated by the state-run National Aviation Co. of India Ltd (Nacil) has committed to undertake an overhaul of its business operations, restructure its massive Rs15,241-crore debt, raise funds through a public offering in fiscal 2011 and convert three out of four of its flights into low-fare services.
Alongside, it will also attempt a rationalisation of its work force, chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav said on Friday, without elaborating.
“It’s going to be a painful exercise,” Jadhav said, announcing the measures. “It is going to hurt; it’s going to hurt a lot of people.”
Air India has accumulated losses of Rs7,200 crore and is saddled with debt of Rs15,241 crore, taken to pay for 49 of the 111 planes, worth Rs50,000 crore, it has ordered from Airbus SAS and Boeing Co. It now plans to cancel some of its aircraft orders.
“We’ve got into a cash-flow problem. We are unable to service our interest and debt liabilities with our internal resources,” Jadhav, a 1978-batch officer of the Indian Administrative Services who took charge of the airline in May, said in his first public briefing.
Air India was forced to delay salaries in June and seek government aid to tide over the worst crisis in its over 70-year history. The airline must reorganize after the government asked it for a time-bound programme as part of conditions for the rescue package.
Also Read A 7-step action plan to rescue Air India
The king is dead; long live the king
Indian carriers had losses of around Rs9,740 crore in the fiscal year ended 31 March after oil prices spiked and passenger count fell. Many of these are finding it difficult to fund operations in the wake of the global crash crunch and some have missed payments to vendors, including the state-run oil marketers.
Nacil had asked for a loan and equity infusion of around Rs15,000 crore from the government. Its current equity capital is Rs145 crore.
The proposal is being vetted by the finance ministry, Jadhav said. The next meeting is on 25 August. Based on the outcome of this meeting, the airline will finalise its financial restructuring, though it has already set a three-year road map to recovery with milestones of nine, 18 and 36 months.
Also See Air India’s Road To Recovery—The Eight Step Path (Graphics)
The first six months of this restructuring, Jadhav said, will be focused on filling up aircraft that are flying at half occupancy by making sure its on-time performance improves.
Over the next nine months, its cargo, engineering services, ground handling and airline operations will be carved out into separate divisions, making them individual revenue and profit centres to take away the burden from the main airline group. Air India plans to spin off non-core units after 18 months through an additional public offering.
Also, Air India and Indian Airlines, which were brought together under Nacil in 2007, will have a single code by March 2010, allowing passengers to book tickets through a single website. Currently, Air India operates under the AI code, and Indian Airlines under IC.
Air India’s much delayed entry into Star Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of airlines, would have to wait until June 2010 and international route rationalisation and code-share agreements will be carried out keeping this in mind, Jadhav said. Code sharing refers to a ticket marketing practice among airlines that allows carriers to share the two characters in codes used in airline reservation systems. This helps customers purchase a single ticket on a journey that has two flights such as a New Delhi-London leg and a London-New York one on two different airlines. Air India will also return the leased aircraft.
The airline plans to relocate its 31,000 employees into its four new subsidiaries. “For the first time in Air India’s history, we are officially involving all employees representatives... We have set up a turnaround committee. Fifty percent of committee members are union representatives,” said Jadhav.
“Well, if the people in Air India and those who have to support them within the ministry really want these things to be done, these would certainly be done,” said Vasudevan Thulasidas, who presided over the merger of the Air India and Indian Airlines between 2007 and 2008.
Air India Express, the airline’s low-fare service, will start its flights in September, taking on rival low-fare carriers SpiceJet Ltd and InterGlobe Aviation Pvt. Ltd-run IndiGo.
It will try to reduce its cost per average seat kilometre, an aviation benchmark to calculate costs, to 6.5-7 cents (Rs3.11-3.35), in line with what Jadhav said was the international benchmark. “We are not going to sit back and watch.”