Air India to revamp overseas operations

New Delhi: Air India, run by National Aviation Co. of India Ltd, is planning to revamp its international operations, concentrating on non-stop connections instead of one-stop flights on its long-haul routes.
From November, the airline is likely to drop Frankfurt as its European hub, flying direct to destinations such as Toronto and Chicago from Delhi’s new Terminal 3, according to two Air India officials familiar with the proceedings of the national carrier’s strategy committee meeting on Monday that was attended by newly appointed chief operating officer Gustav Baldauf.
The airline also plans to start flights to destinations such as Melbourne as part of a new strategy aimed at taking advantage of a growing fleet of aircraft capable of traversing such distances without refuelling with passengers willing to pay a premium for seats on such flights.
The move is also meant to attract travellers to visit India during the Commonwealth Games in October. A proposal to hire Cato Purnell Partners to rebrand the carrier ahead of the Games has already been approved, as Mint reported last month.
31/05/10 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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Categories: Foreign Jun 2010, NACIL Jun 2010