AIR INDIA ON THE UPSWING- LARGER FLEET AND EXPANDED NETWORK
Air India is India's finest flying Ambassador. The urge to excel and the enthusiasm, which characterized Air India's first flight, way back on October 15, 1932, is quintessential even today - thanks to Air Indians who have kept alive the tradition of flying high. The merger of Air India and Indian, the country’s leader in the domestic sector, has helped the airline to emerge as a major force in the airline industry. The re-branding exercise is currently underway and passengers are getting to see the unified face of the new invigorated Air India. The merged entity, which presently has a fleet of 124 aircraft, offers passengers seamless travel across domestic and international routes.
New Thrust
Air India now has a younger fleet comprising eight B777-200LRs and 12 B777-300ERs, 20 Airbus A-321s and 19 A-319s. On the international network Air India now operates 28 weekly services to three destinations in the USA - New York, Newark and Chicago including a daily Non Stop flight between Mumbai-New York and Delhi-New York following the induction of brand new Boeing 777-200LR in its fleet. With a fleet of 124 aircraft, Air India has been gradually expanding its network to cover new destinations in India and abroad.
NonStop Flights
B777-200LR The discerning passenger of today looks for speed and comfort. With the induction of the state-of-the-art B777-200LR aircraft, Air India now offers both speed and comfort through its nonstop services to New York, New Jersey, Chicago and Toronto, comfortable seats, 23 inch screen to watch 250 hours of video programming, mood lighting and gourmet food. The eight-seat First Class cabin has been designed to offer the passenger comfort and luxury with exclusivity. Each First Class seat can be transformed into a fully horizontal flat bed, 77 inches long and 31 inches wide. A passenger travelling First Class has the facility of convenio service i.e. meals at times preferred by a passenger. The 35-seat Executive Class cabin too has spacious and comfortable seats. Each seat can be transformed into a 72-inch long flat bed. The 195 Economy Class seats are ergonomically designed for comfort during the long haul flight. Mood Lighting – the entire aircraft cabin has the facility of mood lighting in soft shades of mauve, green and pink to soothe and relax passengers.
B777-300ER Air India’s B777-300ERs operated on Mumbai/Delhi – London sectors have a total of 342 seats in three-class configuration – four First Class, 35 Executive Class and 303 Economy Class seats. The First Class with 1-2-1 seating is designed to offer the premium traveler luxury, comfort and privacy and an extensive range of facilities. Each First Class seat is an individual cabin by itself. The seat, which is 23” wide and has a seat pitch of 80 inches, converts into 31-inch wide full flat bed. The seat offers lumbar support, a massage system and a large bi-folding meal table which slides and swivels, giving the passenger flexibility to move easily from his/her seat when the table is deployed. In Executive Class the 2-3-2 abreast 19.5 inches wide seats with a pitch of 76 inches, transform into 26.5 inch full flat beds. The seats have a large back shell and a divider between seats for privacy. The four-way movable leather headrest provides for greater comfort. In Economy Class the 3-3-3 abreast seats with a pitch of 33 inches and a 6-inch recline are 18 inches wide. All the seats, except those in the front row, have a roller type therapeutic leg rest installed in front for added comfort.
Inflight Entertainment - Passengers can enjoy 350 hours of audio video on demand. There is something for each and every passenger – movies, games, news and music. State-of-the-art Thales i500 inflight entertainment system, which provides high noise immunity, makes travelling on the long haul flights a pleasure. A USB port in all classes enables passengers to connect electronic devices, e.g. digital camera, keyboard, MP3 player and mobile phone.
Refurbished B747-400Air India has also revamped its First Class on all its long haul Boeing 747-400s, deployed on the Mumbai-Frankfurt-Newark sector by retrofitting 180-degrees flat-bed seats in the First Class. The plush, new seats, offering highly innovative standards in design, safety, reliability and appearance, are equipped for work, sleep or rest in accordance with the passengers' preference. The re-configured First Class seats only 12, instead of 16 earlier.
Network
In its ever-growing quest for providing direct services from various points in India, Air India currently operates international flights from Mumbai and 14 other Indian cities, viz. Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Varanasi, Gaya and Thiruvananthapuram. Commencement of international operations from these cities has obviated, to a very large extent, the need for passengers from these regions to necessarily travel to Mumbai and Delhi, the traditional gateways, for taking international flights. Passengers boarding or deplaning in these cities can now complete their immigration and custom formalities at their city airport, both at the time of departure and arrival. Air India’s global network currently, region-wise, is:
Europe: London, Frankfurt, Paris
Asia Pacific: Bangkok, Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo.
Gulf & Middle East: Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, Riyadh and Sharjah.
South Asia: Colombo, Kabul, Kathmandu, Yangon and Male.
USA & Canada: Chicago, New Jersey, New York and Toronto.
Code-sharingAdditionally, Air India has code-sharing arrangements with other international carriers. Air India's code share services are now available for:
Europe: Delhi- Istanbul / Moscow / / Vienna /Zurich ; Mumbai- Istanbul / Vienna/ Zurich ; Delhi/Mumbai – Munich; Frankfurt - India (Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai,Pune); Frankfurt- Amsterdam/Berlin/ Chicago / Copenhagen / Denver / Detroit / Dusseldorf / Los Angeles / / Munich / Oslo / Stockholm / Stuttgart / Washington.
USA & Canada: Singapore-Los Angeles-Singapore; and Singapore-San Francisco-Singapore, London-New York.
Asia Pacific: Kolkata- Singapore; Singapore-Bangkok/Kuala Lumpur;
South Asia: Mumbai/Delhi-Colombo
Africa: Bangalore Mauritius; Delhi-Mauritius; Chennai-Mauritius; Mumbai-Mauritius; Mumbai/Delhi-Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa-Dar-es-Salaam; Mumbai-Johannesburg, Johannesburg-Durban/Cape Town
Domestic Operations
On the domestic front we operate to 62 stations out of which 17 are connected to our international destinations. The 172-seater Airbus A321 aircraft connects all major metros, including all flights on the Delhi-Mumbai sector. Spacious cabin, comfortable seats and the luxury of in-flight entertainment make this a superior product that travellers look forward to. As more and more A321s and A319s join the fleet, they will gradually replace the A320s which are currently deployed on many domestic sectors.
Convenient connectivity has been provided to/from major metros like Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore for passengers booked on the Non Stop flights. Increasing occupancy levels on the Non Stop flights is testimony to the popularity of this premium product.
The Regional operations cover the following stations:
Northern Region: Amritsar, Allahabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Delhi, Gwalior, Jaipur, Jabalpur, Jammu, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Khajuraho, Kulu, Leh, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Raipur, Srinagar, Udaipur and Varanasi.
Eastern Region: Agartala, Aizwal, Bagdogra, Bhubaneshwar, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Gaya, Guwahati, Imphal, Jorhat, Kolkatta, Lilabari, Patna, Port Blair, Ranchi, Shillong, Silchar and Tezpur.
Western Region: Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Goa, Indore, Jamnagar, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara.
Southern Region: Agati, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode, Madurai, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupati and Vishakapatnam.
Delhi – The New HubThe inauguration of T-3 was a moment of pride and jubilation for India as a nation, but even more so for its national carrier, Air India. The launch of T-3 provides Air India an opportunity to be the first mover to develop a formidable primary hub, from which it will be able to connect ‘India to the World’.
With the planned increases, AI would be operating 143 international services per week offering about 33000 seats per week in each direction on services out of Delhi, up from 22500 seats per week currently representing an increase of nearly 50%. The increase in capacity offered on international routes has been achieved with the help of increase in frequencies on several of Air India’s existing internationals services from / to Delhi such as Delhi-London (up from 10/wk to 14/wk), Delhi-Paris (up from 3/wk to daily), Delhi-Tokyo (up from 4/wk to daily) besides the new daily non-stop services planned for Melbourne, Chicago and Toronto.
Air India would be connecting Delhi to 47 domestic destinations by means of non-stop / direct services. The total number of domestic services is planned to be increased from 62 per day currently to 71per day with the capacity offered going up from 8600 seats per day to 10200 seats per day in each direction. Consequently, seats offered by Air India on all its services from Delhi will stand increased from about 82000 seats per week to about 104000 seats per week in each direction, an increase of more than 25% which is expected to give the airline a dominant position in the domestic and international market to / from Delhi.
Frequent Flyer ProgrammeAir India has a Frequent Flyer Programme branded "Flying Returns". Flying Returns Programme, the most attractive Frequent Flyer Programme for the Indian traveler, can accrue miles while flying on Air India, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and flights of Air India's code share partners, and redeem them for award tickets on Air India, Lufthansa or Singapore Airlines. Through tie-ups with other partners such as credit cards, hotels and telecom companies, members can earn and transfer miles to Flying Returns Programme. "Flying Returns" has a membership of nearly 9,00,000 members worldwide. For more details log on to http://www.flyingreturns.co.in/
Dining Dining aboard Air India is a gourmet experience. The airline offers a choice of menus to suit all types of palates - Indian and Continental. Apart from these, there is western nouvelle cuisine, an appetizing choice of Asian specialties, and even Japanese meals on the India-Japan route. Besides, if any passenger has a special food requirement, he can choose from any of the 23 special meals, details of which are also available on the website http://www.airindia.in. The meal preference can also be intimated through the travel agent while making reservation. The menus are constantly revamped and the wines carried on board live up to the food they complement! Meals are served to First Class passengers in bone china crockery. Alcoholic beverages are served complimentary in all classes.
Inflight EntertainmentThe selection of music on board Air India aircraft would be the envy of any radio station. Passengers can choose from Indian popular music, Indian Classical, Ghazals, Bollywood hits and from Western Classical, Pop, Jazz, Country and Nostalgia. A special channel for Regional songs has been compiled to suit all passengers coming from different regions. A Japanese channel is available for our Japanese passengers.
Air India's video programmes include a choice of the most recent English and Hindi feature films. One-hour video magazine represents the finest in comedy, nature & wildlife, adventure, action and life style. There are special movies in Tamil and Malayalam selected for passengers travelling from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Chennai to the Gulf and Singapore.
Air India ExpressAir India’s budget international airline, Air India Express, was launched in April 2005. Air India Express operates 200 weekly flights on its network between 17 Indian citieis viz. Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirapally and 14 international stations viz. Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bahrain, Bangkok, Colombo, Dhaka, Doha, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Muscat, Salalah, Sharjah and Singapore.
Online bookings can be done on http://www.airindiaexpress.in/
Facilities on the Ground
Besides the much-talked about and appreciated inflight service on board, ground facilities have also been upgraded. Air India's lounge for transit passengers at Mumbai Airport is equipped with shower facilities, specially designed slumberettes, Wi-Fi, a gymnasium and a business centre. First and Executive Class passengers can surf the net or send e-mail in the comfort of our business centre located in the Maharajah Lounge while waiting for their flight to depart. There is a lounge for unaccompanied minors as well. Air India has its own exclusive lounges at Delhi, London and New York in addition to the one in Mumbai. At other international airports, Air India has tie-ups with other international airlines or local Airports Authorities for lounge facility.
Speedy Message Service (SMS)
Users of Indian mobile telephones travelling from Indian stations are requested to provide their mobile numbers at the time of making their reservations to enable us to inform you by SMS in case your flight out of India is rescheduled within four days prior to departure. First and Executive Class passengers departing from Mumbai and Delhi airports can tele-check-in.
A separate entry has been created for First and Executive Class passengers travelling from Mumbai. Several changes have been introduced at Mumbai and Delhi airports with the intent of streamlining airport procedures and enhancing efficiency to make Economy Class passengers' experience, from check-in to boarding of aircraft, absolutely hassle-free. The measures include additional X-ray machines, floor walkers in check-in area, the formation of a telephone enquiry cell and more efficient communications between various sections of the airport.
Advance Check-in Passengers can take advantage of the advance check-in facility that is available at the airport and city office for the convenience of all passengers (including First, Executive and Economy Classes) travelling from Mumbai to the US, the UK and Europe. While First and Executive Class passengers can then report to the airport with their hand baggage just 45 minutes prior to the departure of the flight, Economy Class passengers are required to check-in only 90 minutes before scheduled departure time.
Online Booking
The quick, easy and convenient way to book AI tickets online through the Air India website http://www.airindia.in/. A passenger can make a booking for a sector of his choice for upto nine (9) passengers per booking (including adults and children). The number of infants booked, may be up to the corresponding number of adults. These bookings can be made for flights from 1 hour until 360 days prior to departure of the flight. The passenger has to pay online using his credit card (Master/Visa). For bookings originating India, the payment can also be made using Amex credit cards, certain debit cards and through net banking from Indian bank accounts only. The processing of the credit card is done through a secure Payment Gateway Provider (PGP). Once the credit card has been validated and the card debited, the passenger gets a confirmation of his booking. An e ticket will be generated and the details with the e ticket link will be emailed to the passenger.
E-Ticketing
For online destinationsElectronic tickets are available for travel on all destinations on Air India’s network.
Significant improvements introduced in all areas of Air India's operations on an on-going basis, reinforces the airline's commitment to quality and insistence on high standards. Air India has in tune with the times, emerged as a progressive forward looking airline, eager to satiate the growing needs and expectations of the discerning jet-age traveller of today.
AccoladesAir India has been adjudged as the ‘Best Airline MRO in India’ and ‘Best Engine MRO in India’ by Indian Aviation and Stat Trade Times at India’s first international exhibition and conference on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) held in Mumbai in March 2011.
Air India was also ranked as the Most Trusted Brand in the aviation sector in the country in the Economic Times Brand Equity Survey 2010. This is for the fifth year that the airline has won the top honour.
Air India has won the Galileo Express Travel World Award 2008 for the Best Short-Haul International Airline. Air India has previously been a recipient of the Galileo Express TravelWorld Award for the “Best International West Bound Airline out of India” for three successive years as well as for launching the “Best Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative.”
Air India was also conferred the prestigious Amity Corporate Excellence Award instituted by the Amity International Business School, Noida, Uttar Pradesh to honour Corporates with distinct vision, innovation, competitiveness and sustenance. It also won the Special category Award which recognizes the Most significant corporate Social Responsibility initiative (CSR) taken by an organization. Air India had won four other prestigious awards in 2006:
1) Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) which ranked the airline as the first in terms of revenue out of the top airline companies out of India;
2) Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Award;
3) CNBC Awaaz Consumer Award 2006; and ‘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.
The awards are an eloquent testimony to passengers’ faith in Air India and the airline’s continued effort to ensure consumer satisfaction.
From standing by the nation during any crisis, reflecting the tradition and culture of the country, or showcasing the strength of emerging India – Air India has always been identified with India. Sports & sportspersons have enjoyed a pride of place in the organisation. India’s hockey and cricket teams have won many laurels for the country. Air India has always been committed to its Corporate Social Responsibility through pioneering efforts in preserving environment. A series of awareness raising activities related to environmental issues won it the prestigious Montreal Protocol Public Awareness Award presented by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) in 2007.
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