Air India (Hindi: एअर इंडिया) is a state-owned flag carrier, the oldest and the largest airline of
India. It is a part of the Indian government-owned Air India Limited (AIL) which is renamed as
Air India Ltd. The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Europe and
North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman Point in South
Mumbai. It is the 16th largest airline in Asia[dubious – discuss]. Air India has two major domestic hubs
at Indira Gandhi International Airport and Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
Star Alliance announced on 13 December 2007 that it had invited Air India to join as a member.
Air India is set to become a full Star Alliance member by summer 2011.[1]
History
Tata Air Services
1940s-2007 Air India logo
Air India Boeing 707-320B in 1976
Boeing 747-200B at Montréal-Mirabel International Airport in 1983
[edit] Early years
Main article: Tata Airlines
History
Fleet
Fleet Details
A310-300
B777-200ER
B777-200LR Air India was founded by J. R. D. Tata in July 1932 as Tata Airlines, a
B747-400 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
B777-300ER (77W)
mail (postal mail of Imperial Airways) from Karachi's Drigh Road
B777-200A
Aerodrome to Bombay's Juhu Airstrip via Ahmedabad. The aircraft
Airbus 330-200 continued to Madras via Bellary piloted by former Royal Air Force
B737-800 (AIX) pilot Nevill Vintcent. In 1932 Air India was based out of a hut with a
Airbus 320 palm thatched roof at Juhu Aerodrome and had 1 pilot and 2 apprentice
Airbus 319 mechanics along with 2 piston engined aircraft, one Puss Moth and one
(Mixed/Economy) Leopard Moth aircraft.[2][3]
Airbus 321
CRJ-700
ATR 42-320
Beach 1900D Wet
Lease IATA ICAO Callsign
B737-200 AI AIC AIRINDIA
Founded July 1932 (as Tata Airlines) Commenced operations 15 October
1932 Hubs Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi) Secondary hubs Chhatrapati Shivaji
International Airport (Mumbai) Frequent-flyer program Flying Returns Airport lounge Maharaja
Lounge Alliance Star Alliance (Summer 2011) Subsidiaries
Air India Cargo
Air India Express
Air India Regional
Fleet size 103 (+30 orders)(excl. subsidiaries) Destinations 75 (excl. subsidiaries) Company slogan
Your Palace in the Sky Parent company Air India Limited Headquarters Air India Building,
Nariman Point, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Key people J. R. D. Tata, Founder
Arvind Jadhav, CMD Website www.airindia.com
Shri Arvind Jadhav
Chairman and Managing Director, NACIL.
Shri E. K. Bharat Bhushan
Joint Secretary & Financial Advisor, Ministry of Civil
Aviation
Shri Prashant Narain Sukul
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation
Shri Amod Sharma
SBU Head-Related Business
Shri Anup K. Srivastava
Director - Personnel
Shri K. M. Unni
SBU Head-MRO(Airframe)
Smt. Anita Khurana
SBU Head-Cargo
Shri Vipin K. Sharma
SBU Head (Engg & Comp) & Alliance Air
Shri S. Chandrasekhar
Director - Finance
Shri Anand Mahindra
Vice Chairman & MD, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
Shri F. H. Major
Air Chief Marshal (Retd.)
Dr. Amit Mitra
Secretary General, FICCI
Shri Harsh Vardhan Neotia
Chairman, Ambuja Realty Development Ltd.
Mr M.A. Yusuffali
Managing Director, Emke Group
Accolades
Air India has won the Galileo Express TravelWorld Award 2008 for the Best Short-Haul International
Airline. The award was presented to Air India on December 10, 2008. Air India has an extensive network
covering all major destinations in the Gulf and South East Asia from most major Indian cities. 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 recognises
the Most significant corporate Social Responsibility initiative (CSR) taken by an organisation. 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.
