Air India’s first Airbus A350, VT-JRA (c/n 554), was unveiled at the Wings India airshow
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ANEESH BAPAYE
In October 2021, the TATA Group successfully acquired Air India along with its subsidiary Air India Express in a $2.4bn deal after the government decided to privatise the troubled airline. The move brought hope that the once proud national carrier would once again be able to call itself a distinguished airline.
Under new proactive management, changes began; small at first, with better crew hospitality and etiquette, delay reductions, refreshed inflight menus, and so on. But more needed to be done, especially to the airline’s ageing, worn-out fleet, which failed to deliver a positive flying experience to its customers.