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<ul><li><keyword id="2573" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="air-india" source="Orion">Air India</keyword> chief <keyword id="5863894" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="campbell-wilson" source="Orion">Campbell Wilson</keyword> on Friday said the airline's progress over the last 12 months has been nothing short of stunning.</li><li>Campbell also said that while working on improvements, the airline has not shied away from other ambitious actions such as merging <keyword id="6378232" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="air-india-express" source="Orion">Air India Express</keyword> with <keyword id="86568" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="air-asia" source="Orion">Air Asia</keyword>, or <keyword id="2467342" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vistara" source="Orion">Vistara</keyword> with Air India, or kicking off the establishment of a new InfoTech Centre, or an <keyword id="6388581" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="aviation-academy" source="Orion">Aviation Academy</keyword>.</li></ul>Air India chief Campbell Wilson on Friday said the airline's progress over the last 12 months has been "nothing short of stunning" and there is much more to be done as <keyword id="6355725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-group" source="Orion">Tata group</keyword> completes the first year of takeover of the carrier. Listing out the major initiatives over the last one year, Air India said it is "finalising a historic order of new aircraft to power future growth". Campbell also said that while working on improvements, the airline has not shied away from other ambitious actions such as merging Air India Express with Air Asia, or Vistara with Air India, or kicking off the establishment of a new InfoTech Centre, or an <keyword id="31907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aviation" source="Orion">Aviation</keyword> Academy. "And that's not to mention our much talked-about short- and-medium term fleet expansion," the CEO and <keyword id="13909725" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="md-of-air-india" source="Orion">MD of Air India</keyword> said in a communication to the employees. <keyword id="8555" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tata" source="Orion">Tata</keyword> group took control of Air India from the government on January 27 last year. "Taken together, the progress over the last 12 months has been nothing short of stunning, even if so much of what we have been working on has been behind the scenes, building platforms and capabilities so that our future ambitions can take flight. "There is of course much more that needs to be done, and everyone - internally and externally - is hungry for us to do it," Campbell said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/new-patent-suggests-that-apple-could-bring-a-foldable-iphone-with-a-self-healing-display-in-the-future/articleshow/97302738.cms">New patent suggests that Apple could bring a foldable iPhone with a self-healing display in the future</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apples-mixed-reality-headset-could-feature-full-body-facetime-avatars/articleshow/97300580.cms">Apple's Mixed Reality headset could feature advanced hand tracking and may work as a second display for Mac</a>

Air India's progress has been 'nothing short of stunning': CEO Campbell Wilson

<keyword id="2573" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="air-india" source="Orion">Air India</keyword> has "enormous" potential and efforts are on to make the group a significant international player, its CEO <keyword id="5863894" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="campbell-wilson" source="Orion">Campbell Wilson</keyword> said on Monday. Addressing the media virtually, <keyword id="166282" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="wilson" source="Orion">Wilson</keyword> further said the process of integration of Vistara with Air India is underway and is now awaiting approval from the <keyword id="97393" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="competition-commission-of-india" source="Orion">Competition Commission of India</keyword> (CCI). The integration of Air India Express and AIX Connect, earlier known as AirAsia India, is also underway. Air India has enormous potential and unprecedented opportunities. The group is working on becoming a significant international player, he said. On February 14, Air India announced placing an order for 470 planes, including 70 wide-body aircraft. Wilson said the funding would be through a combination of various sources. The <keyword id="6355725" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tata-group" source="Orion">Tata Group</keyword> took over Air India in January last year. Air India has placed an order for 470 planes with Airbus and Boeing, and there is also an option to acquire another 370 aircraft. Out of the firm order for 470 planes, 250 are from Airbus and 220 from Boeing. "We don't have a timeline... will evaluate the market," Wilson said with respect to exercising the option to purchase another 370 planes. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/xiaomi-popular-user-interface-miui-14-features-and-supported-devices-list-announced/articleshow/98269043.cms">MIUI 14 announced – features, supported devices, release date, and more</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-crosses-10-million-unique-customers-on-5g-network/articleshow/98268817.cms">Airtel crosses 10 million unique customers on 5G network</a>

Air India has enormous potential, efforts on to make it a key global player: CEO Wilson

<ul><li>For the financial year ending March 2023, the <keyword id="6359180" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sia" source="Orion">SIA</keyword> Group posted a record net profit of SGD 2,157 million (USD 1,598 million) for the year.</li><li>SIA's revenue rose 133.4 per cent or by SGD 10,160 million (USD 7,526 million) year-on-year to a record SGD 17,775 million (USD 13,167 million). </li></ul>Singapore, May 22 (ANI): Following consecutive quarters of standout financial results, many expected Singapore Airlines (SIA) to turn in a dazzling set of numbers last week when it announced its full-year results. Singapore's national carrier did not disappoint as it reported the highest annual profit in its 76-year history. For the financial year ending March 2023, the SIA Group posted a record net profit of SGD 2,157 million (USD 1,598 million) for the year, versus an SGD 962 million (USD713 million) net loss in the previous year, an earnings gain of SGD 3,119 million (USD 2,310 million). SIA's revenue rose 133.4 per cent or by SGD 10,160 million (USD 7,526 million) year-on-year to a record SGD 17,775 million (USD 13,167 million). Although capacity was ramped up by 94 per cent, it was outpaced by traffic which rose 449.9 per cent. This led passenger flown revenue to expand by SGD 10,560 million (or 376.3 per cent) to SGD 13,366 million. Revenue per available seat-kilometre (RASK) was 10 Singapore cents, the highest yearly RASK in the carrier's history. During the financial year under review, the two airlines in the SIA group, full-service Singapore Airlines and low-cost Scoot, together served a total of 26.5 million passengers, a six-fold increase from a year ago. With capacity at only 79 per cent of pre-COVID levels as of March 2023, there is still room for the airline to do better. It said that its capacity is projected to reach an average of around 83 per cent of pre-COVID levels in the first half of the current financial year. The outstanding results is mostly because of the way SIA responded to the crisis wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic on the airline industry. As borders closed, and airlines stopped flying, SIA with the support of shareholders and its lenders managed to raise over USD16 billion of cash to shore up its balance sheet. This enabled it to retain more than 80 per cent of its staff as well as keep most of its aircraft operational. Many regional competitors had to furlough or let staff go and sell aircraft and as a result, had a slower start once borders reopened again. During COVID, SIA redeployed cabin crew to other sectors including as "care ambassadors" in healthcare facilities and as "transport ambassadors" to help manage safe practices on public transport. The carrier also took the opportunity to upgrade some of its cabins and also merged regional carrier <keyword id="676010" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="silkair" source="Orion">Silkair</keyword> with its main full-carrier Singapore Airlines to save costs. Digital services were also upgraded and a lifestyle rewards app Kris+ was launched. As borders reported, SIA rapidly deployed services to meet the pent-up travel demand charging above-average fares as regional competitors played catch-up. At the moment, SIA is operating at over 80 per cent of its pre-COVID levels whereas the average passenger capacity of international scheduled services of Asia-Pacific airlines is at around 58 per cent. To prepare for the future, SIA is looking into several strategic initiatives including the continued expansion of its network through deeper collaboration with like-minded airlines. One of these initiatives is the proposed merger of <keyword id="2573" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="air-india" source="Orion">Air India</keyword> and Vistara to strengthen SIA's presence in the fast-growing Indian aviation market. Through its ownership of Vistara and a further injection of USD 250 million in November last year, Singapore Airlines will be a 25.1 per cent owner of Air <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> once the merger is approved by the Indian authorities. When Tata Sons appointed Singapore Airlines (SIA) veteran <keyword id="5863894" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="campbell-wilson" source="Orion">Campbell Wilson</keyword> as chief executive officer in the middle of last year, it was probably with a view to trying to mirror the success of SIA at the newly acquired Air India. Wilson, a New Zealander, spent 25 years at SIA rotating through various roles including chief executive of Scoot, senior vice president of sales and marketing and worked for the airline in countries like Japan, Canada, and Hong Kong. If investments committed to the new Air India are an indication, Tata is on the right track to turning Air India around to become a more modern airline, with a better on-time record, better in-flight service, better cabin environment and an all-around better customer experience. The new owners have committed USD 70 billion to aircraft, USD 200 million to IT, and USD 400 million to refit the existing fleet. In February this year, it made the largest single order for new aircraft worldwide by buying 470 planes from both Boeing and Airbus. To support the growth, the airline has recruited thousands of staff, including 10 times the number of cabin crew and 10 times the number of pilots that would have been typically recruited each year. Following years of under-investment, and lack of recruitment and training, it has already made good progress in less than a year according to Wilson. Speaking to Australian aviation blogger <keyword id="8281779" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sam-chui" source="Orion">Sam Chui</keyword>, he said, "We've changed all the menus. We've replaced seats, curtains, carpets, and seat cushions. We've repaired a lot of the inflight entertainment systems, particularly in first and business class that weren't previously working. We are making good progress in economy class despite supply chain constraints." Recently, the carrier also attained the number one ranking for domestic punctuality for the first time in eight years and has consistently been amongst the top two or three in India. "The biggest challenge for us at the moment is simply the scale and pace of growth. It is a sizable airline. We carry over 100,000 people a day already," he added. Although the impact of the changes will only be felt over time, Air India's CEO is confident that the changes he has implemented will bear fruit and lead the airline back to being a premium global carrier eventually. CEO Wilson said, "Air India was in the 1960s, one of the best airlines in the world. It's got a long 90-year history. The past few years have been a bit challenging with under-investment. But now under the Tata group, which took ownership in January of 2022, there is a very significant effort to get Air India back to the heights it once was." (ANI) SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/is-whatsapp-secretly-listening-to-your-private-conversations-heres-how-to-check/articleshow/100155980.cms">Is WhatsApp secretly listening to your private conversations? Here’s how to check</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-pixel-6a-vs-pixel-7a-smartphone-comparison-with-price-and-features/articleshow/100177889.cms">Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 7a: Is Google's latest mid-ranger worth the extra ₹12,000?</a>

Can Air India emulate Singapore Airlines' record profits?

<keyword id="2573" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="air-india" source="Orion">Air India</keyword> has given more time to pilots to accept the revised compensation structure, which has been opposed by two pilot unions, according to a source. The decision to provide more time to pilots who are yet to sign the new contracts also comes days after Air <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> organised a town hall meeting with many pilots to discuss their concerns. The source said the airline has given time till the end of this week for signing the new contracts apparently due to requests from people who had not earlier accepted the revised compensation structure. There was no comment from Air India on extending the deadline. Initially, the deadline for accepting the new contracts had ended on April 30. The move to extend the deadline also comes at a time when crisis-hit Go First has stopped flying and its future remains uncertain, a scenario that has also resulted in many of the budget carrier's pilots seeking job opportunities elsewhere. The source said that nearly 800 pilots who had not accepted the new compensation structure had attended the town hall on May 4 that was addressed by Air India's Chief of Operations Captain <keyword id="466654" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rajwinder-singh" source="Orion">Rajwinder Singh</keyword> Sandhu, who is also a pilot. On May 4, a pilot, who had attended the town hall, said Sandhu had assured that all issues can be sorted out and that no clause in the revised contracts would be misused. Issues related to seniority, career progression and roster rules, among others, were discussed. Air India has around 1,800 pilots and a significant chunk of them are yet to sign the revised contracts, according to another source. On April 28, Air India chief <keyword id="5863894" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="campbell-wilson" source="Orion">Campbell Wilson</keyword> said that a majority of pilots have accepted the new compensation package offered last week. Campbell had said the airline is making investments in workplace technology and training as well as in new and improved employee benefits. "On the latter front, I'm pleased to report that 90 per cent of cabin crew and a majority of pilots have received and accepted the new compensation package offered last week, which will be back-dated to 1 April 2023," he had said. On April 17, Air India rolled out a revamped compensation structure for its pilots and cabin crew. However, the same was rejected by two pilot unions -- Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) -- on grounds that the airline, in alleged violation of labour practices, did not consult them before finalising the new contracts. <keyword id="6355725" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tata-group" source="Orion">Tata Group</keyword> took control of loss-making Air India from the government in January last year. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/fitch-affirms-indias-sovereign-rating-on-robust-growth-outlook-flags-weak-finances/articleshow/100093312.cms">Fitch affirms India's sovereign rating on robust growth outlook, flags weak finances</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/iphone-2022-revenue-higher-than-gdp-of-160-countries/slidelist/100077106.cms">9 interesting facts about iPhone maker Apple, ‘the best business in Berkshire’s portfolio’</a>

Air India gives more time to pilots to accept revised compensation structure

<keyword id="2573" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="air-india" source="Orion">Air India</keyword> has put together a "huge financing deal" related to its new fleet in a remarkably quick time, according to its chief <keyword id="5863894" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="campbell-wilson" source="Orion">Campbell Wilson</keyword>. On February 14, Air India announced a historic order for buying 470 aircraft, including 250 from Airbus and 220 from <keyword id="6357957" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="boeing" source="Orion">Boeing</keyword>. Besides, there is an option to buy another 370 planes from the two plane makers. It was also the first time in more than 17 years that Air India, which was taken over by <keyword id="6355725" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tata-group" source="Orion">Tata Group</keyword> from the government in January last year, placed orders for new planes. In his weekly message to the staff on Friday, Wilson said he wants to commend "the commercial, strategic procurement, finance, treasury and legal teams for successfully putting together a huge financing deal related to our new fleet in remarkably quick time...it was another historic achievement for the new Air India". Specific details could not be immediately ascertained. Wilson, in an interview with PTI last month, said that a lot of money is being invested in the airline. "<keyword id="10439307" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tata-group-air-india" source="Orion">Tata Group Air India</keyword> has invested at a list price of USD 70 billion for the 470 aircraft. That is with the explicit purpose of providing more services, especially international connectivity. We ultimately do that for many reasons and one reason is that we get economic returns from that investment. "I think, if the traffic is siphoned off throughout the places, just makes it more and more difficult for us to have non-stop services and ultimately, customer loses as they will not have any option of non-stop service," he had said. The response was to a query related to bilateral flying rights. The order for 470 planes comprises 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777-9s wide-body aircraft as well as 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft. In the message, Wilson -- CEO and Managing Director -- also mentioned the diversion of the AI 173 Mumbai-San Francisco flight this week and about the handling of the situation. He said it was a "team Air India effort". "From the affected crew and onboard staff helping stranded customers on the ground, to the engineering, flight ops, inflight services, insurance and other folk preparing and operating the relief flight. "From our customer service and communications teams assisting customers and engaging media, to our government and regulatory teams keeping their counterparts informed, and everyone else who played a role," he said. On June 6, AI 173 operating from Delhi to San Francisco carrying 216 passengers and 16 crew on board was diverted to the Magadan port city in far east Russia following a mid-air glitch in one of the Boeing 777-200LR aircraft engines. All were stranded in the port city for two days and the replacement aircraft ferried them to San Francisco on June 8. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/marine-species-including-whales-and-dolphins-under-significant-threat-from-noise-pollution/articleshow/100877522.cms">Marine species including whales and dolphins under significant threat from noise pollution</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/the-worlds-oceans-last-month-were-warmer-than-any-other-may-since-the-beginning-of-the-19th-century/articleshow/100875382.cms">The world's oceans last month were warmer than any other May since the beginning of the 19th century</a>

Air India puts together 'huge financing deal' for new fleet: CEO

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Air India CEO Campbell Wilson apologized for its handling of a mid-air urination incident. </li><li>A "heavily inebriated" man in business class had been accused of urinating on a woman in November.</li></ul>The CEO of Air India has issued an apology for the airline's handling of a mid-air urination incident and said it was reviewing its policy around serving alcohol on flights. In a <a href="https://twitter.com/airindiain/status/1611632948998180864?s=20&amp;t=Z6CygrVqUgI0MgT_f29aoA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement posted</a> on the airline's Twitter account, Campbell Wilson said: "Air India is deeply concerned about the in-flight instances where customers have suffered due to the condemnable acts of their co-passengers on our aircraft. We regret and are pained about these experiences."He added: "Air India acknowledges that it could have handled these matters better, both in the air and on the ground and is committed to taking action."Following the incident, four cabin crew and one pilot have been taken off the rota while investigations continued. <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/drunk-man-urinates-on-senior-citizen-woman-co-passenger-on-air-india-flight/article66336781.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hindu reported</a> on Wednesday that a "heavily inebriated" man in business class had urinated on a woman on an Air India flight from New York to Delhi on November 26.Indian media reported that the employee lived in Mumbai and was a vice president at Wells Fargo. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wells-fargo-fired-employee-urinated-female-passenger-air-india-flight-2023-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US bank said in a statement on Friday</a> that the employee had been fired, but did not comment on his identity.Wilson said the airline was taking steps to prevent future such incidents, including a review of its policy on serving alcohol and a better internal communication system for crew to lodge reports before landing.The CEO also said that the victim had been receiving "ongoing assistance" from the airline after it received the complaint on November 27. Her tickets were refunded on December 2, and he had met with her and her family on four occasions. Following one of their meetings, the victim asked the airline to file a police report, which it did on December 28.The man has been banned from flying on Air India for 30 days, according to Wilson's statement."Air India and its staff will continue to provide full cooperation to the affected passenger, and regulators and law enforcement authorities as they investigate these cases," he added.Air India didn't immediately respond to a request for further comment from Insider.

Air India CEO apologizes for mid-air urination incident and says it's reviewing the in-flight alcohol policy

Acting on the urination incident onboard an <keyword id="2573" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="air-india" source="Orion">Air India</keyword> <keyword id="267936" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-york-delhi" source="Orion">New York-Delhi</keyword> flight last November, the flag carrier on Saturday issued show cause notices and de-rostered four cabin crew and a pilot pending investigation. Air India has also initiated internal investigations into whether there were lapses by other staff on other aspects, including the service of alcohol on flight, incident handling, complaint registration and grievance handling. In a statement, <keyword id="5863894" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="campbell-wilson" source="Orion">Campbell Wilson</keyword>, the CEO and Managing Director of Air India, said: "Air India is deeply concerned about the in-flight instances where customers have suffered due to the condemnable acts of their co-passengers on our aircraft. We regret and are pained about these experiences. "Air India acknowledges that it could have handled these matters better, both in the air and on the ground and is committed to taking action." The CEO said that the airline has initiated multiple steps with a view to materially strengthen and improve how such incidents would be addressed in future, which includes commencing a comprehensive education program to strengthen crews' awareness of and compliance with policies on the handling of incidents and unruly passengers, and to better equip crew to empathetically assist those affected, review of the airline policy on service of alcohol in flight and review the meeting frequency of the DGCA-prescribed "Internal Committee", tasked with assessing incidents, so that cases are assessed and decisions reached in a more timely manner. The steps also include improving the robustness of its legacy incident reporting processes, which are presently paper-based and manual, Air India signed a Letter of Intent in December 2022 to acquire a license for the market-leading provider of incident management software, <keyword id="15995247" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="coruson" source="Orion">Coruson</keyword>. In addition to this state-of-the-art software, the airline is also in the process of deploying iPads to Pilots and Senior Cabin Crew. When used together, crew will be able to enter voyage and incident reports electronically, which will then be rapidly and automatically routed to relevant parties including, as required, the Regulator. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/ar-smart-lens-developer-mojo-vision-lays-off-75-of-its-workforce/articleshow/96808833.cms">AR smart lens developer Mojo Vision lays off 75% of its workforce</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/this-startup-is-using-abandoned-gas-pipelines-from-1800s-to-ease-telecom-traffic-via-network-as-a-service/articleshow/96809621.cms">This startup is using abandoned gas pipelines from 1800s to ease telecom traffic via network as a service</a>

Air India issues show cause notices, de-rosters 4 cabin crew, 1 pilot

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Singapore AirlinesA Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 ULR.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/singapore-airlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Singapore Airlines</a> relaunched flagship non-stop service between Newark Liberty International Airport and its home base in Changi Airport in Singapore this month.</li><li>The record-breaking flight covers more than 10,000 miles and can last up to 19 hours depending on conditions. </li><li>Singapore operates the flight using its new fleet of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/airbus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Airbus</a> A350-900 ULR airliners.</li><li>According to Singapore Airlines SVP of sales and marketing Campbell Wilson, the ULR's range gives the airline new network route options that weren't available previously. </li></ul>This month, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/longest-flight-in-the-world-singapore-airlines-business-class-review-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Singapore Airlines relaunched flagship non-stop service between Newark Liberty International Airport and its home base in Changi Airport in Singapore</a> using its new <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-a350-900ulr-used-for-singapore-airlines-worlds-longest-flight-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Airbus A350-900 ULR jets</a>. Now, passengers flying between the Big Apple and Lion City will no longer have to make a stop in Europe, cutting several hours off their trip. The record-breaking flight covers more than 10,000 miles and can last up to 19 hours depending on conditions. "It's a fantastic day for us to reinstate this service which is a flagship route in our network," Singapore Airlines senior vice president of sales and marketing, Campbell Wilson told Business Insider. "The fact that it happens to be the longest is sort of immaterial to the fact that it's something our customers have long asked for and it really does provide a meaningful benefit to them with respect to time-saving and avoiding the inconvenience of transit." But for Singapore Airlines, the importance of the route reaches far beyond the news making nature of its duration. In recent years, the airline's rivals have built up a really lucrative business by connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia with destinations in North America. Unfortunately, Singapore's geography has prevented the airline from effectively fighting back. "One of the big constraints we have faced being based in Southeast Asia and trying to serve North America is that because of the technical inability to fly nonstop, we have had to have an intermediate (transit) point," Wilson said.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Edgar SuSingapore Airlines senior vice president of sales and marketing, Campbell Wilson.</div></div></div>For example, Singapore's service to JFK International Airport stops in Frankfurt, Germany before continuing on to New York.These fifth freedom routes are a rarity because it involves Singapore Airlines selling tickets on flights between two foreign countries. In this case, the US and Germany. (A fifth freedom flight is an airline's service between two foreign countries that either begins or ends in a third country.)Countries tend to be very restrictive when it comes to allowing an interloper to do business on routes operated by their own airlines, limiting Singapore's ability to grow its service to North America. "Countries quite jealously guard the rights from their hubs, so at best we can fly daily on these fifth freedom legs," the veteran airline executive explained. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Airbus</div></div></div>And that's where the new Airbus jet comes back into the picture. "The ULR changes the game in the sense that we no are now no longer constrained these fifth freedom limitations," Wilson told us. Singapore Airlines previously operated non-stop service to Newark from 2004 until 2013 using the Airbus A340-500. But high fuel prices and inefficient aircraft made the flight economically unfeasible. "The A340-500 is a four-engined aircraft designed in the 90s and purchased when fuel was $19 a barrel but when fuel increased $119 a barrel the technological limitations of that time was exposed," Wilson explained. "So we said to Airbus if you build an aircraft that is modern generation and can operate the route economically, we'll take it."The result is the A350-900 ULR or ultra long range. "The trigger to re-introducing this flight was the availability of this aircraft," Wilson added. "It is the only one that is, in our view, capable of doing this mission economically."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Singapore AirlinesSingapore Airlines A350 ULR premium economy.</div></div></div>Singapore is the only carrier in the world with these special aircraft. It's based on the ultra-modern A350-900, but modified to carry an additional 6,300 gallons of fuel. This increases the aircraft's range from 9,300 miles to 11,100 miles and allows Singapore to comfortably fly non-stop to North America with a full load of 161 passengers and cargo.According to Wilson, who previously served as the CEO of Scoot, Singapore's low-cost long-haul airline, The ULR's ultra-efficient engines and aerodynamics help it deliver 25% less fuel compared to the previous one."With fuel being 30% to 40% of an airline's costs, those are significant savings especially on such a route where you are consuming a lot of fuel and you are burning fuel and carrying fuel for the last part of the trip," Wilson said.The Newark/New York flight is just the first in a series of new routes Singapore plans to launch to North America using the ULR. In fact, non-stop service to Los Angeles and San Francisco are expected to launch in November. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/science-behind-mounting-tires-controlled-explosion-setting-tire-bead-fire-lighter-fluid-2018-9">The science behind the viral videos of mounting tires with a controlled explosion</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Singapore Airlines executive reveals why its new Airbus jet is such a game-changing advantage for the airline over its rivals

<keyword id="2573" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="air-india" source="Orion">Air India</keyword> will be introducing <keyword id="4458030" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="premium-economy-class" source="Orion">premium economy class</keyword> in some of its long haul international flights next month, its chief <keyword id="5863894" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="campbell-wilson" source="Orion">Campbell Wilson</keyword> said on Saturday as the Tata group-owned airline works on ways to expand its market share as well as the global network. Addressing an event organised by JRD Tata Memorial Trust here, Wilson also said opportunities are there for <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> and Air India to become major players in world aviation within the next decade. Wilson, who is the managing director and chief executive officer of Air India, said the airline will increase its market share to at least 30 per cent in domestic and international routes. Air India is implementing a long-term revival plan and over the next five years, it aims to grow its wide-body and narrow-body fleet as well as expand the global network, he added. "The short-term actions have been to replace carpets, curtains, seat cushions and covers. To fix defective seats and inflight entertainment systems as fast as supply chains will allow. And where parts are no longer available in the market, to work with the likes of Tata Technologies to design and manufacture parts ourselves. "We've recently completely revamped the domestic inflight menu, and will be doing likewise, as well as launching premium economy on certain long haul international flights next month," he said. According to Wilson, the airline has restored nearly 20 aircraft that had been grounded for years due to lack of parts and money. Leaving aside cabin interiors, this has required procuring over 30,000 parts that had been cannibalised over the years to keep other aircraft flying, he added. In addition to restoring long-grounded aircraft, he said the airline has finalised leases for 30 additional aircraft being delivered over the next 12 months, starting next week, with more in the final stages of negotiation. "Beyond these short-term additions, we are in deep discussion with Boeing, <keyword id="6356166" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="airbus" source="Orion">Airbus</keyword> and engine manufacturers for a historic order of the latest-generation aircraft that will power Air India's medium and long-term growth. At the risk of gross understatement, the investment will be substantial," he said. Noting that Air India's transformation journey will be in phases, Wilson said over the next six months it will be taxiing, fixing the basics and readying itself for growth. "For the subsequent year we'll start the take off run, building for excellence and attracting those who may not have considered Air India before, and by April 2024 or thereabouts, we will leverage the work done in the earlier phases to climb rapidly, so that by 2027 we have scaled the heights of our aspiration," he added. Air India has expanded both domestically and internationally, the latter including more flights to Vancouver, Sydney and Melbourne. "We now operate non-stop to London from seven Indian cities," he said, and added that from Mumbai, the airline will be adding new non-stop service to San Francisco, New York and Newark starting in a few weeks. According to him, Air India has received more than 62,000 applications for cabin crew positions. Emphasising that the airline no longer has financial or any other constraints, he said "turning around Air India and restoring it to glory is a test match, not a T20. It will require patience, fortitude and partnerships. Though there will be the occasional six and four, it'll mostly be the steady accumulation of singles and doubles." The rapid development of new Indian airports and the government's regional air connectivity scheme UDAN to support developmental domestic routes will only strengthen the network effect that will power further growth, he stated. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/india-on-course-to-become-worlds-second-largest-economy-by-2050-says-gautam-adani/articleshow/95622223.cms">India on course to become world’s second largest economy by 2050, says Gautam Adani</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/article/festive-releases-fail-at-the-box-office-but-theatres-pin-hopes-on-big-ticket-releases-to-return-to-pre-covid-glory/articleshow/95608276.cms">Festive releases fail at the box-office, but theatres pin hopes on big-ticket releases to return to pre-Covid glory</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/all-is-not-that-well-say-market-experts-even-as-stocks-chase-new-highs/articleshow/95599973.cms">‘All is not that well’, say market experts even as stocks chase new highs</a>

Air India to introduce premium economy class in certain long haul flights next month

<keyword id="20018887" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vistara" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vistara" meta.hostid="346" meta.entityid="Vistara">Vistara</keyword> will operate the last flight under its brand on November 11 and the full-service carrier's operations will be unified with <keyword id="19896871" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Air India" meta.hostid="346" meta.entityid="Air India">Air India</keyword> from November 12. The government has given its nod for the foreign direct investment by <keyword id="20036942" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Singapore-Airlines" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Singapore Airlines" meta.hostid="346" meta.entityid="Singapore Airlines">Singapore Airlines</keyword> as part of the Air India-Vistara <keyword id="20035800" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="merger" source="keywords">merger</keyword>. Vistara is a joint venture between <keyword id="19924335" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Group" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Tata Group" meta.hostid="346" meta.entityid="Tata Group">Tata Group</keyword> and Singapore Airlines. Air India is owned by Tata Group. "Starting 03 September 2024, customers will, progressively, no longer be able to make bookings with Vistara for travel on or after 12 November 2024," Vistara said in a release on Friday. Thereafter, Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India and bookings for the routes operated by these planes will be redirected to Air India's website. "Vistara will continue to take bookings and operate flights as usual till 11 November 2024," the release said. The merger of Vistara with Air India was announced in November 2022 and post-completion of the deal, Singapore Airlines will have a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India. Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan said the merger is about offering passengers more choice with a larger fleet and a wider network while elevating the overall travel experience. "Cross-functional teams from Air India and Vistara have been working together for many months to make the transition of aircraft, flying crew, ground-based colleagues and, most importantly, our valued customers, into the new Air India as seamless as possible," Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said. In a separate release, Air India welcomed the Union Cabinet's approval for the foreign direct investment by Singapore Airlines in the airline. "This is an important milestone that facilitates the merger process between Vistara and Air India, and the broader transformation of the Air India Group," it said.

Vistara to operate last flight under its brand on November 11

Gurugram: <keyword id="22345435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TATA-SIA-Airlines-Limited" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="TATA SIA Airlines Limited" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="TATA SIA Airlines Limited">TATA SIA Airlines Limited</keyword>, known by the brand name of <keyword id="20018887" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vistara" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vistara" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Vistara">Vistara</keyword> announced its merger with <keyword id="19896871" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Air India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Air India">Air India</keyword> on Friday. The company said in a statement that customers will not be able to make <keyword id="19916663" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bookings" source="keywords">bookings</keyword> with Vistara for travel on or after November 12. "Starting 03 September 2024, customers will, progressively, no longer be able to make bookings with Vistara for travel on or after 12 November 2024," the company said. However, Vistara will continue to take bookings and operate flights as usual till 11 November 2024. All Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India and bookings for the routes operated by these aircraft will be redirected to Air India's website, the company informed. During this transition period, both Vistara and Air India will ensure necessary support, consistent communication, and convenience to all customers, every step of the way. Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, "We are immensely grateful to all our customers for their support and patronage over the last 10 years. As we progress further in our growth journey, we want to emphasize that this merger is about offering them more choice with a larger fleet and a wider network, while elevating the overall travel experience. Vistara and Air India are committed to ensuring that this transition is smooth and hassle-free. We are excited about this new phase in our journey and look forward to welcoming our customers again soon - as Air India." Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer &amp; Managing Director, Air India, said, "Cross-functional teams from Air India and Vistara have been working together for many months to make the transition of aircraft, flying crew, ground-based colleagues and, most importantly, our valued customers, into the new Air India as seamless as possible. The joint team looks forward to offering our guests an expanded network, additional flight options, an enhanced frequent flyer program and the best of both antecedent airlines and are grateful for the support of our loyal customers through this next phase of building a world class, world scale, global airline with an Indian heart." On August 10, Both companies secured the CAR (Civil Aviation Requirement) 145 approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (<keyword id="19899185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dgca" source="keywords">DGCA</keyword>) to integrate their aircraft line maintenance operations, as per an official release.

You Searched For "campbell wilson" and got 11 results

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Singapore Airlines executive reveals why its new Airbus jet is such a game-changing advantage for the airline over its rivals

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Vistara to operate last flight under its brand on November 11

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