Air India is the oldest and most popular airline in India. This airline is part of Air India Limited (AIL), owned by the Indian government. It is ranked 16th among the top airlines in Asia. It continues to be the national airline of India with a global network of cargo and passenger services.
Air India was previously started as Tata Airlines in 1932 but had to shut down its operations during World War II. After the end of the war, the company restored its services in 1946 and became a limited company called Air India.
On June 8, 1948, the company began its international services, with a weekly flight from Mumbai to London via Cairo and Geneva. Under the Air Corporations Act of 1953, the government nationalized the air transport industry and Air India International Limited was born.
The airline’s main hubs are located at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and the Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. Previously, the airlines had their international hub at the Frankfurt International Airport, but it was closed in 2010 due to the number of mishaps and losses the company suffered. The president of the company had announced that they would make Indira Gandhi International Airport their international and domestic hub.
In 1960, he entered the jet age and purchased the first Boeing 707 420, which was named Gauri Shankar and registered VT-DJJ. The first jet services were launched from New York City via London. After 2 years it became the world’s first jet airline. The airline entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest evacuation by civilian aircraft, evacuating more than 111,000 people from Amman to Mumbai, a distance of 4,117 km, by operating 488 flights in conjunction with Indian Airlines, between August and October 1990. and this operation lasted 59 days. The operation was carried out during the Persian Gulf War in 1990.
Air India’s combined loss in fiscal year 2009-10 was Rs 770 crores. The airlines currently serve approximately 44 destinations around the world. It also has codeshare agreements with many international airlines to expand coverage.
It provides first class, business class and economy class cabin services. Some of the other services include luxury lounges for its First and Business class passengers at specific destinations in its land terminals. The company has duty-free sales of its flights, known as “Sky Bazaar.” The airline is now a proud partner of Star Alliance and is supposed to be connected by Alliance Air and Air India Express. In the year 2006-2007, the airlines began to show signs of financial crisis.
The Maharaja Lounge is offered to First Class and Business Class passengers. Currently, the headquarters is located at Nariman Point in South Mumbai, the airline moved there in 1970. The building also served as the headquarters of Indian Airlines.