Aloke Singh to head Air India’s low-cost carrier from January 1

Aloke Singh will be CEO of the Indian carrier’s low-cost airline business from January 1.

New Delhi:

Air India Express CEO Alok Singh will be head of Air India’s low-cost airline business from January 1 next year, according to an internal communication.

The Low Cost Carrier (LCC) business will include AirAsia India and Air India Express.

“Until the merger is completed, the two constituent airlines will continue to have full regulatory positions, but for now, a single CEO will provide the clarity and single accountability needed to navigate the process,” Air India Chief Executive Officer and managing director Campbell Wilson said in an internal communication.

Aloke Singh will be the sole CEO of Indian airline LCC Airlines from January 1, 2023.

According to internal communications, Sunil Bhaskaran, the current CEO of AirAsia India, will lead a new initiative – Aviation Training Academy.

Tata Group has been working to consolidate its aviation business after taking over loss-making Air India in January.

On November 2, Air India said it was conducting an operational review process to integrate budget carrier AirAsia India with Air India Express, which could be completed by the end of 2023.

The merger aims to create a low-cost carrier for the Air India group. It had said that after the merger, the entity would be named Air India Express.

AirAsia India was established in 2014, while Air India Express started operations in 2005.

Currently, the Tata Group has four airlines. They are Air India, Air India Express, AirAsia India and Vistara. The latter is a joint venture with Singapore Airlines.

On November 29, Tata Group announced the merger of Vistara and Air India, and Singapore Airlines will acquire a 25.1% stake in Air India. The deal, which will make Air India the country’s largest international carrier and second-largest domestic carrier, is expected to be completed by March 2024, subject to regulatory approval.

(Aside from the title, this story is unedited by NDTV staff and published via a syndicated feed.)