Air India

About Air India

Air India accumulated massive losses after its 2007 merger with Indian Airlines. The combined airline had over 8 billion in debt. The Indian government provided repeated bailouts. In 2012, the government approved a 5.8 billion turnaround plan. Air India was plagued by bureaucratic management, political interference in route selection, and overstaffing. The airline could not compete with efficient private competitors like IndiGo. In 2021, the Tata Group acquired Air India from the government for 18 billion rupees. Tata had originally owned Air India before it was nationalized in 1953. Under Tata ownership, Air India was merged with Vistara, a Tata Singapore Airlines joint venture. The privatization was intended to end decades of losses.