Air India Unveils New Logo as Part of Massive Transformation Plan. Maharaja's Makeover Explained

Air India has unveiled a new logo and new aircraft livery as a part of the massive transformation plan where the company recently completed the historic purchase of 470 new aircraft in a multi-billion-dollar deal.

The airliner hopes that the new logo and new aircraft livery reflect the tech upgrade that Air India is undertaking to include artificial intelligence enabled systems. Tata-group owned airline said the new logo, ‘The Vista’, “captures the essence of bold new India, which marks a milestone in its Vihaan.AI transformation.”

What is the New Logo?

Air India has now ditched its red arched window accents for a “gold window frame” bracketing the words ‘AIR INDIA’ on the top-right corner. The tail design of the new aircraft will feature hues of gold, red and purple, along with a red and gold underbelly with the name in bold.

The new logo ‘The Vista’ is inspired by the peak of the gold window frame which signifies limitless possibilities, progressiveness and the airline’s bold new outlook for the future, the company statement said. The livery and design feature a palette of deep red, aubergine, and gold highlights, as well as a chakra-inspired pattern.

The company has said that the iconic mascot ‘The Maharaja’ was not going anywhere and will continue to “be part of the airline’s journey into the future.”

However, the travellers will get to see the new logo by the end of this year in December when Air India’s first Airbus A350 will enter the aircraft fleet.

“Our transformative new brand reflects an ambition to make Air India a world-class airline serving guests from around the globe, and that represents a new India proudly on the global stage,” Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said.

The company’s chairman N Chandrasekaran said that Air India aims to have the “best technology” in the next 9-12 months and the airliner is putting all of its information technology systems in place as it looks to rise as a serious contender in Indian and foreign market.

Air India’s New Deal

The new logo and livery is part of the “total transformation’ of the airline which is aiming to redefine its role as India’s flagship airline.”

The airline company, in one of the world’s largest aviation orders in June, signed purchase agreements with Airbus and Boeing for 470 new aircraft in a $70 billion deal.

The purchase agreement was signed in June this year and the deliveries will begin by November. The largest Indian carrier is purchasing 220 Boeing aircraft from the US and 250 jets from Airbus. The details of the purchase include- 34 A350-1000, six A350-900, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 10 Boeing 777X widebody aircraft, as well as 140 Airbus A320neo, 70 Airbus A321neo and 190 Boeing 737MAX narrowbody aircraft.

Big Plan

The company is undergoing a transformation and will completely refurbish the interiors of its wide-body fleet of 43 widebody aircraft as a part of $400 million deal.

The new changes include new website and a mobile app offering significantly improved web experience with new digital tools and features. It is also coming up with new lounges at Delhi and New York JFK airports.

The company hired over 5,000 new people, including 3,200 Cabin crew and nearly 1,000 Cockpit crew. The airline has made significant investments throughout the guest experience to elevate its service to become the preferred airline for travellers in India and abroad.

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy (JRD) Tata founded the airline in 1932 and named it Tata Airlines. In 1946, the aviation division of Tata Sons was listed as Air India, and in 1948, Air India International was launched with flights to Europe.

The international service was among the first public-private partnerships in India, with the government holding 49 per cent, the Tatas keeping 25 per cent and the public owning the rest. In 1953, Air India was nationalised and last year, the airline was taken over by the Tata Group from the government.

(With inputs from agencies)