Air India CEO Emphasizes India's Need For Expanded International Nonstop Access

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson asserted that India needs international nonstop access to more destinations, claiming that the country has been unable to control its own destiny in certain aspects due to the lack of a robust domestic airline company.

"It should hopefully allow for a market that is more sustainable, ideally profitable that will allow airlines to invest in new products, expand networks and also lead India to assume its place on the world aviation stage...," he told PTI in a recent interview.

Tata Group purchased Air India and Air India Express from the government in January of last year. Air India, Air India Express, AIX Connect (previously known as AirAsia India), and Vistara, a joint venture with Singapore Airlines, are currently part of the group. The group is also in the process of combining

Air India Express and AIX Connect, as well as Vistara with Air India. Wilson responded to a question regarding the Go First problem by saying it is extremely unfortunate. Go First, a cash-strapped budget carrier, ceased operations on May 3 and is currently facing voluntary insolvency proceedings.

This is not the first time an airline has failed in the country, and "it does, I believe, highlight that the industry structure that has prevailed has not been conducive to a healthy, vibrant, profitable industry," said Air India CEO and Managing Director.

"As a consequence of not having a healthy domestic airline industry, India has in some respects is not able to control its own destiny. Some foreign airlines coming into India have been the ones that have reaped the benefits of the growing Indian market as opposed to the Indian airlines.

"We continue to make sure that we put in the investments in aircraft, products, people and systems. We will have a significantly sized, professionally run, expansion-oriented high quality airline," Wilson said.

He also stated that Air India is investing $70 billion at list price on 470 new aircraft with the specific goal of expanding services, particularly foreign connectivity.

"Our view is that India deserves to have international non-stop connectivity to many more destinations in the world than presently is the case.

"In order to do that, it will require investments in aircraft, systems, and people by Indian carriers. That investment comes with economic incentives and other incentives. So building the environment to make such investments attractive to the people and such investments successful, at least in my view, is in the national interest," Wilson said.