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Air India Limited

Air India Limited is an Indian aviation holding company, notably consisting of Air India and Air India Express, headquartered in Gurgaon. The company is owned by Tata Group (74.9%) and Singapore Airlines (25.1%). Until 2022, it was a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Government of India and administrative control of Ministry of Civil Aviation.

History

Air India Limited was incorporated on 30 March 2007 as the National Aviation Company of India Limited to oversee the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines.[4] It was renamed as Air India Limited on 26 October 2010.[5]

Air India Limited was privatized through its sale to the Tata Group. On 8 October 2021, Tata Sons paid inr 180000000000 to Government of India, with Tata also assuming inr 153000000000 of Air India Limited's debt as per the transfer deal.[6][7] The remaining inr 462620000000 of Air India Limited's debt was also transferred to AlAHL.[8][9]

The Tata Group requested approval from the CCI to merge AirAsia India and Vistara with Air India Limited in April 2022,[10] which was granted on 14 June 2022.[11] After the completion of Vistara's merger with Air India in 2024, Singapore Airlines obtained a 25.1% stake in Air India Limited.[12]

On the anniversary of the airline's founder J. R. D. Tata's birth in 2023, its headquarters in Gurgaon was inaugurated.[13]

Structure

Corporate structure

On 15 April 2022, Alliance Air was no longer a subsidiary of Air India Limited. Alliance Air is now the only airline under the control of the Government of India.[14]

Controversies and issues

Data breach (2021)

In 2021, Air India disclosed a cybersecurity incident affecting approximately 4.5 million passengers, involving personal data such as passport details and contact information.[15]

Safety lapses and regulatory scrutiny

Air India has faced repeated scrutiny from aviation regulators over safety compliance. An audit by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) identified multiple safety lapses, including training deficiencies and operational shortcomings.[16]

Subsequent reports indicated that the airline recorded a high number of serious safety violations, including critical findings affecting operational safety.[17] Additional regulatory notices highlighted issues such as crew fatigue management and gaps in training compliance.[18]

In 2026, European aviation authorities also flagged safety concerns during inspections of Air India aircraft, leading to increased regulatory oversight.[19]

See also

  • Air India FC

External links

References

  1. Tata Sons Annual Report 2025 Tata Sons, retrieved 11 August 2023^
  2. Tata Sons Annual Report 2025 Tata Sons, retrieved 11 August 2023^
  3. Air India's transformation bearing fruit, says Campbell Wilson Financial Express, 21 September 2024^
  4. NACIL India.gov.in, retrieved 2012-10-14^
  5. Maharaja gets back old name The Times of India, retrieved 2012-10-14^
  6. Asit Ranjan Mishra, Rhik Kundu. After 70 yrs, the Maharaja returns home to the Tatas mint, 8 October 2021, retrieved 10 October 2021^
  7. Air India acquisition: What Tatas will get The Times of India, retrieved 8 October 2021^
  8. Another smaller government-owned airline to go under hammer Times Now, 10 October 2021, retrieved 10 October 2021^
  9. Mihir Mishra. After Air India, government set to sell Alliance Air under asset-disposal programme The Economic Times, retrieved 10 October 2021^
  10. Arindam Maujmder & Aneesh Phadnis. Tata Group approaches CCI for merger between Air India and AirAsia India Business Standard, 2022-04-27, retrieved 2022-06-28^
  11. CCI approves proposed acquisition of AirAsia India by Air India Business Standard, 2022-06-14, retrieved 2022-06-28^
  12. Sukalp Sharma. Air India, Singapore Airlines announce successful completion of Air India-Vistara merger The Indian Express, 13 November 2024, retrieved 16 June 2025^
  13. Air India corporate information Air India, retrieved 7 September 2023^
  14. Alliance Air Airline Now Under Govt of India, Here is All You Need to Know About it 16 April 2022, retrieved 9 November 2023^
  15. Air India says February’s data breach affected 4.5 mln passengers Reuters, retrieved 2026-03-24^
  16. Air India audit finds 51 safety lapses Reuters^
  17. Air India tops in serious safety lapses flagged by DGCA The Economic Times, July 30, 2025^
  18. Air India warned by DGCA over 'systemic' lapses in fatigue management and training, documents show The Economic Times, July 24, 2025^
  19. European aviation body flags lapses in Air India planes The Economic Times, Mar 16, 2026^