‘Welcome to the future of Air India’: Day after Tata takeover, a special message for passengers

Air India's operations department said this message would be read by its pilots on every flight departing today.

It had said that bookings could be made only through one of the three authorised agencies — Balmer & Lawrie, IRCTC and Ashok Travels.

A day after the Tata Group took over Air India from the Government of India, a special message was relayed to passengers on all of its flights. The aviation company’s operations department had said on Thursday that this message would be read by Air India pilots on every flight departing today.

“Dear Guests, this is your Captain speaking… Welcome aboard this historic flight, which marks a special event. Today, Air India officially becomes a part of the Tata Group again, after seven decades,” Captain Varun Khandelwal said to passengers on Air India flight AI665 travelling from Delhi to Mumbai.

A day after the #TataGroup took over #AirIndia from the Government of India, a special message was relayed to passengers on all of its flights. https://t.co/ETrhHwtKLX pic.twitter.com/VYo5HLtkS9

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) January 28, 2022

“We look forward to serving you on this and every Air India flight with renewed commitment and passion. Welcome to the future of Air India! We hope you enjoy the journey. Thank you,” he added.

The Tata Group, which had placed the highest bid of Rs 18,000 crore in the Air India disinvestment, took over the airline from the government on Thursday. Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital before attended the handing over ceremony at Airlines House.

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In a press release, Tata Sons said: “We philosophically agree with the Prime Minister’s vision for the aviation sector, of making it affordable and ensuring it contributes to boosting ‘Ease of Living’ for citizens.”

And in an internal letter to Air India employees after the handing over, Chandrasekaran wrote: “My first flight was with Air India in December 1986, and I will never forget how special it felt to be onboard, or the exhilaration as we soared into the sky… today is the beginning of a new chapter. The nation’s eyes are on us, waiting to see what we achieve together. To build the airline our country needs, we need to look to the future.”

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The company’s official Twitter handle, meanwhile, said, “A brand new chapter unfolds for Air India as part of the Tata Group. Two iconic names come together to embark on a voyage of excellence. Looking forward to soaring high propelled by our rich legacy & a shared mission to serve our Nation.”

First published on: 28-01-2022 at 11:38 IST