Tata Group Airlines have reached a significant milestone in their ongoing merger process by successfully harmonising operating procedures across their four carriers. This achievement includes the completion of supporting manuals, marking a crucial step in consolidating the airlines into two distinct entities: a full-service carrier and a low-cost carrier.
Over the past 18 months, a dedicated team of more than 100 members has worked tirelessly to align best practices and standardise operating procedures. This collaborative effort has resulted in the creation of two comprehensive manuals, each tailored to the specific requirements of the respective carrier types.
Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Air India, expressed his gratitude for the support received during this complex process. “This is an important milestone in the merger of the Tata Group airlines. We are grateful for the support from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which provided timely clearances for the merger process. We also appreciate the continuous guidance and systematic review from DGCA, which has been instrumental in achieving this challenging task in a time-bound manner. Their safety-first change management approach aligns perfectly with the safety priorities of the Tata Group.”
Located at Amravati’s Belora airport, the DGCA-licensed FTO will commence operations in Q1 FY26, targeting the graduation of 180 commercial pilots each year. This FTO marks Air India’s first pilot training facility in the country, featuring 31 single-engine and three twin-engine aircraft for comprehensive training. The facility will span 10 acres, featuring training facilities, digitally enabled classrooms, global-standard hostels, a digitised operations center, and an in-house maintenance facility.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) played a pivotal role in this harmonisation process, offering continuous monitoring and support through a dedicated team and a live progress tracker created by the Flight Standards Directorate. This ensured that the alignment was completed efficiently and safely.With the harmonisation phase now complete, Air India and its group companies are initiating crew training to implement the new processes. This training is a crucial step toward building the new Air India and Air India Express, aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and service quality across the board.
Looking ahead
As Tata Group Airlines move forward with the merger, the harmonised manuals and the upcoming crew training are expected to streamline operations and provide a consistent, high-quality experience for passengers. The successful completion of this phase demonstrates the group’s commitment to grow aggresively in the aviation industry.
