Maharaja Mascot continues, Air India refurbishment plans underway: AI CEO Wilson
Feb 28, 2023
By Ashoke Raj
New Delhi, [India], February 28 : New Delhi, [India], February 28 : After much speculation that Maharaja Mascot may be changed in the new avatar of Air India, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the national carrier, Campbell Wilson has made it clear that 'the Maharaja' is not going to leave Air India.
"The Maharaja has made his identity in the country and abroad and people have given a lot of love to the mascot of the Maharaja," the CEO said.
"Maharaja is one of the many assets of Air India as a consequence of its 90-year history. It will be part of Air India's future," Wilson said during a media interaction on Monday.
A complete refurbishment of Air India 2.0 is underway, where wide-body aircraft are going to get a makeover by the next year -- 2024.
"We would like to accelerate the process as fast as possible. There are sheer-time constraints in the regulatory, engineering and physical manufacturing that we can't work around. How I can say with confidence that by the second half of 2024 with new aircraft and with the refurbishment of aircraft, it will be a very different experience when you fly Air India wide body," Wilson said.
Further, the CEO and MD Wilson emphasised on hiring crew members to meet the reasonable demand of cabin and cockpit crew for its expanding aircraft globally
"We are hiring 500 cabin crew every month and have a strong pipeline of personnel. A crew academy is in the works that will train personnel not just for AI but other airlines too," Wilson said.
