Campbell Wilson, managing director and chief executive officer of Air India has said that the existing fleet of Air India is all set to undergo refreshment with regards to its look.
In a conversation with CNBC-TV18, Wilson said that the “refreshed brand identity takes forward the traditional patterns of the brand”.
In August this year, Air India underwent a brand refresh.
Wilson said there will be a new in-flight entertainment system, galley and lavatory while $400 million will be spent for new seats. The first aircraft is expected to be introduced by July or August of 2024.
Recently, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) gave a nod for the merger of Vistara with Air India. Similarly, the competition watchdog gave its approval for the merger of Air Asia India with Air India Express. Speaking on the merger of Vistara and what would happen to the airline brand Vistara, Wilson stated that he was awaiting the clearance of competition authorities from other parts of the world.
Stating that 18 months of work was left for its merger, he said Vistara will operate as Vistara and there was no fixed timeline to completely merge them.
On the issue of in-flight entertainment systems, Wilson highlighted that they were quite old and have been around since the launch of iPhone 1. He assured that by mid-2024, 100 percent retrofitting would be done.