The writing was on the wall for this, though we now have confirmation…
In this post:
How Air India will combine its airline brands
The Indian aviation market is undergoing a major transformation. In late 2021, plans were announced for Air India to be privatized. Specifically, Tata Group, which was also Air India’s initial owner when the company was first founded, has once again taken control of the airline.
Tata Group has huge plans for Air India, including a massive order for 470 new Airbus and Boeing jets, spending $400 million to update the interiors of long haul jets, and leasing 30 jets (including former Delta 777s) to add capacity in the short term.
Tata Group now owns four Indian airlines, including Air India, Air India Express, Vistara, and AirAsia India. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has today revealed more details about how he plans to integrate these various airline brands. The plan is for:
- Air India and Vistara to be merged into one, and the airline will be branded as Air India
- Air India Express and AirAsia India to be merged into one, and the airline will be branded as Air India Express
The timeline for this remains to be seen, as Air India needs regulatory approval from the Competition Commission of India in order to officially merge the two carriers.
I don’t think this should surprise anyone. Of course Air India has a lot more global name recognition, though not necessarily in a positive way. Vistara, meanwhile, is regarded as being a much higher quality airline, but doesn’t have the same name recognition. Wilson has promised to keep much of Vistara’s spirit around in terms of passenger experience.
Admittedly Tata Group’s goal is to bring back the glory days of Air India, though it’s anyone’s guess if the company succeeds, and it’ll take some time to change perceptions. From an efficiency standpoint, it certainly makes sense to have just one full service airline (Air India) and one low cost carrier (Air India Express).
This is going to be a heck of an effort
Airline mergers are almost always complicated, though watching the transformation of Air India will likely be unlike anything we’ve seen before. Usually when mergers happen, we see one of the brands change to conform to the other brand.
In this case we’re really seeing Air India attempting to totally reinvent itself, while also eliminating two airline brands. I suppose in some ways maybe the merger only incrementally complicates things, given that everything is changing anyway.
Wilson has an amazing opportunity to do something that (I’d argue) has never done before. I think he’s a capable leader, and on top of that, Singapore Airlines is also an investor in the combined airline, which gives me even more hope. Even so, turning Air India into a globally competitive airline is quite a task.
Bottom line
Air India’s CEO has revealed details about what Air India will look like in the future, given Tata Group’s ownership stake in four airlines. We can expect Vistara to be merged into Air India, and we can expect AirAsia India to be merged into Air India Express. The exact timeline remains to be seen, and is based on regulatory approval.
What do you make of Air India’s branding plans for a new, combined airline?
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I disagree and given the stature India is showing in the global diaspora, Air India will fly high. I love to travel in Air India off late for the leg room which is far better than British Airways and the quality of food is incomparable.
At least they should have gone ahead with the Vistara livery....The Air India one looks so outdated and less appealing.
I had a recent experience of internal and international travel with Air India that too from Delhi to London. I have many friends who have travelled Mumbai to London, Mombai-Chicago and few other premium destinations in the west with Air India. Their aircrafts are ancient with broken seats, broken armrests non functioning in-flight entertainment to name a few. It will be end of this century before Maharaja gets any recognition. Long long way to go...
I had a recent experience of internal and international travel with Air India that too from Delhi to London. I have many friends who have travelled Mumbai to London, Mombai-Chicago and few other premium destinations in the west with Air India. Their aircrafts are ancient with broken seats, broken armrests non functioning in-flight entertainment to name a few. It will be end of this century before Maharaja gets any recognition. Long long way to go after previous Air India ownership ( Govt) made it a decrepit airliner.
And now a new conspiracy that TCS will get seat upgrades before Infosys.
The merged airline can be named as
AIR INDIA Vistara
And low cost arm would be
AIR INDIA Express
It will be nice if they retain Vistara's logo and livery for the merged airline? The livery is very classy and modern compared to the existing Air India livery. It is a pity to discard it.
Air India will be fantastic. Just you wait and see, I’m telling you. India is underrated. We have already produced the Vice President of the USA and the Prime Minister of the UK. Making the best airline in the world is very simple, and with Mr Tata we have the money and the expertise. Soon everyone will say “ding ding ding I want to fly Air India”
Lol, two right wing ghouls destroying their respective countries - yeah definitely going to go well f those are the examples.
Expect the Tatas to elevate the value of the combined Air India & Vistara. Air India will no longer be the airline composed of people who are government employees who do not care for customer service,who are thieves & brigades.
Vistara merger shouldn't be complicated. Vistara just has 787-9s, A320NEO, and A321NEO, all of which Air India has on order anyways. The complication will be at AI Express and Airasia India, since one is all 737 & the other is all A320
We just spent over 2 1/2 hours to check in to an Air India domestic flight so they might start with hiring a couple of more staffers.
Call me a contrarian but I like Air India's branding over Vistara. I'm not talking about actual service, or quality of the interiors, etc. But strictly the design elements, logo, etc. I realize it's somewhat outdated, but everything these days is so generic and market-tested. And every airline logo is basically a generic Nike swoosh thingy that's supposed to represent motion but just looks like a boring ribbon.
Give me something distinctive, like PanAm's globe...
Call me a contrarian but I like Air India's branding over Vistara. I'm not talking about actual service, or quality of the interiors, etc. But strictly the design elements, logo, etc. I realize it's somewhat outdated, but everything these days is so generic and market-tested. And every airline logo is basically a generic Nike swoosh thingy that's supposed to represent motion but just looks like a boring ribbon.
Give me something distinctive, like PanAm's globe logo, or even Alaska's Eskimo and Totem Pole elements. Something that gives an airline a unique tie to their place in the world.
Vistara is not the worst offender in the race to inoffensive, utterly forgettable names and logos. But I hope they keep the name Air India, and design something that ties to Indian culture or history. For example, I love the little red outline of a palace window that's painted on each window. It's a nod to classic Mughal architecture and the red sandstone it commonly uses.
Heck, even their Maharaja mascot is not a bad idea. Who doesn't want to be treated like a King? Perhaps update the overly cartoonish aspects of it and you can have something distinctive, uniquely Indian, while also conveying a sense of luxury and service. Why toss that away to pursue some generic name like World Traveler class, or even Polaris?
Probably the best airline that does all of this, IMHO, is JAL. The crane giving rise to a red Sun is absolutely brilliant and instantly conveys Japan. Give me that over some generic swoosh any day.
Maybe I'm in the minority, but IMHO, airlines take themselves too seriously. Yes, flying is serious business. But that doesn't mean there can't be fun or even whimsical elements added in. Does anyone fail to smile when they see ANA's R2D2 or Eva's Hello Kitty jets? And for my money, the only non-ugly A380's are ANA's which are decked out as multi-colored turtles.
All this is to say I hope AI doesn't go the way of so many airline design updates these days. It seems like some intern created a Photoshop template with a swoosh, a choice of 4 colors, and a sans serif font, and prints out a copy for each airline looking to "rebrand" themselves.
Agree with your take, but those are Rajasthani/Rajput arches not Mughal.
To the idea of painting the window outlines with the red outline, that the Poster of this comment calls 'Moghul symbol', is both disgusting and insulting. Moghuls were the barbaric invaders that plundered and robbed India and its extra ordinary native culture. Why would you think the Indians would be proud of such an art?
There are many other symbols that truly reflect Indian culture and yet is modern and contemporary. I am confident AI...
To the idea of painting the window outlines with the red outline, that the Poster of this comment calls 'Moghul symbol', is both disgusting and insulting. Moghuls were the barbaric invaders that plundered and robbed India and its extra ordinary native culture. Why would you think the Indians would be proud of such an art?
There are many other symbols that truly reflect Indian culture and yet is modern and contemporary. I am confident AI under its progressive leadership will not go back to clownish looking mascot such as the Maharaja for its re-invented Airline
Air India's problem isn't its logo or livery or (ugh, overused word) "brand". Its problem is a terrible service culture top to bottom, and the flying public knows it. Instead of retiring Vistara, they should be retiring the Air India name and the justly deserved negative image associated with it.
I'd be happy to be proved wrong though.
"terrible service culture top to bottom, and the flying public knows"
That is what brand really represents.
"they should be retiring the Air India name"
Brand reputation doesn't equal to brand equity.
Your neighborhood Uncle Joe might be the best coffee shop in the world but it means nothing to the rest of the world.
Not to worry: Air India will change its livery within the next year or so, by the time the merger is completed. It is having a new brand identity designed by Futurebrand, the same agency who redesigned American ten years ago. I trust that it will have the highest corporate standards that Vistara (or for that matter Jet Airways) did, and not AI’s current shoddy brand.
This reminds me of the merger between Avianca and...
Not to worry: Air India will change its livery within the next year or so, by the time the merger is completed. It is having a new brand identity designed by Futurebrand, the same agency who redesigned American ten years ago. I trust that it will have the highest corporate standards that Vistara (or for that matter Jet Airways) did, and not AI’s current shoddy brand.
This reminds me of the merger between Avianca and TACA in 2012, where both airlines joined the Star Alliance, and a new Avianca livery and brand replaced the two older ones. But we can’t expect Vistara to join the Star Alliance like TACA did, or for that matter like TAM or US Airways joined Oneworld before they merged with LAN and American, respectively.
Futurebrand?
Comparing AA ten years ago and today, I'd take the former.
Or maybe Futurebrand deserves more credit for the failed attempt to counter Doug Parker.
Futurebrand is a pretty prestigious agency, so if this is true I think it should be good as far as branding goes. I'm not so confident about improving the service standards or experience though, trying to do that to Air India is like polishing a turd.
Well. Vistara is a perfect airline (IMHO).
And, TATA is ownership of Jaguar and RANGE ROVER...... so, India (largest populated country in the world now 2024).... has a good chance of making Air India magical.
I think they can do it!
Vistara is a disappointment… the app is the digital brand and it cannot even handle copy paste.. cannot save my flight information and cannot accept international credit cards.. good riddance and a fast death to this incompetence..
Brand is not about fancy designs.. it’s a great customer experience. amen.
LOL.
Comments here seem to think Air India needs rebranding but yet the only thing I hear is changing the name, color, or logo.
That is not what rebranding means.
Amen
Looks like there is an opportunity to repeat what United + Continental merger did.
Use Vistara design and Air India name.
I did like United designs better before the merger.
While I think this change makes sense, I must say I was really pleased flying Vistara a few years ago before Covid. Really great airline. I hope they can keep that spirit alive. Hopefully Vistara ends up being the tail that wagged the dog (one can dream!)
I think it's a great plan to reorganize and make it easier to manage with just 2 brands rather than 4 .
They'll need to hire a marketing wizard to be part of the overall effort. Changing perceptions of Air India will be a tall order, but not an impossible task. Not sure what faded glory they think they can draw on either. Air India has a bad reputation and a poor imagine, but that doesn't mean that the brand can't be repositioned. It just needs a lot of work.
I feel like Air India needs a complete rebrand and name change. The brand is in line with every negative stereotype of India and will always struggle to escape the horrendous reputation the airline has had for decades. A name that reflects modern India would be a very good idea.
TATA didn't pay that much to take over Air India just to change or dump the name.
TATA = Range Rover.
Its the best of the best royalty for the English and posh Venezuelans in Miami.
I agree. It is radical and unlikely given the conservative forces sadly in charge in India but it would be a smart and astute move. Air India is associated with multiple negative connotations which are sadly also reality - late, unreliable, poor quality, dirty - they're sadly all genuinely founded. My brother found this crazy cheap deal for the family from Paris to Melbourne via Delhi and they said never again and his wife in...
I agree. It is radical and unlikely given the conservative forces sadly in charge in India but it would be a smart and astute move. Air India is associated with multiple negative connotations which are sadly also reality - late, unreliable, poor quality, dirty - they're sadly all genuinely founded. My brother found this crazy cheap deal for the family from Paris to Melbourne via Delhi and they said never again and his wife in particular was genuinely traumatised by the experience. It's an appalling airline, that is unsaveable and anyone who believes it can be, which I doubt there is any including Ben, is extremely naive.
This is basically vandalism - destroying the last quality good Indian ailrine. Air India is a nightmare, it isn't just poor quality, it is a bad airline for even the basics never - they can't even maintain or keep plane clean never mind offer anything close to decent or above and beyond. I was also a big fan of the branding which was classy and understanted from day one - not Air India's unsophisticated cartoon caricature branding.
you are being illogical. Do you seriously imagine TATA (the new owner) to operate 4 separate airlines at once? While at the same time competing against a juggernaut of an LCC like Indigo which has majority of the market share and more then 500 aircrafts on order, with rumours of another few hundred on the way!
Air India is currently being rebuild, with 470 aircrafts on order. it is being merged into an entity which...
you are being illogical. Do you seriously imagine TATA (the new owner) to operate 4 separate airlines at once? While at the same time competing against a juggernaut of an LCC like Indigo which has majority of the market share and more then 500 aircrafts on order, with rumours of another few hundred on the way!
Air India is currently being rebuild, with 470 aircrafts on order. it is being merged into an entity which will probably carry forward Vistara’s product and service. So you should look forward to that instead
I don't expect them to keep 4 separate brands but this won't be Air India going up to to Vistara's standards but actually destroying the latters to the lows of Air India's - there is nothing to look forward to and you are very naive if you think there is. I would rather SQ have been given the opportunity to buy the shares they don't own and operate it as a separate airline - removing...
I don't expect them to keep 4 separate brands but this won't be Air India going up to to Vistara's standards but actually destroying the latters to the lows of Air India's - there is nothing to look forward to and you are very naive if you think there is. I would rather SQ have been given the opportunity to buy the shares they don't own and operate it as a separate airline - removing a competitor here is also not good for consumers in India, especially as Jet Airways as full service airline no longer exists and now AI is private the indian government shouldn't be protecting it from competition. This all round bad for passengers/consumers and there is no benefit whatsoever for them
Absolutely agree!
They are going to have to change the livery of Air India if they want to stay relevant, the current livery looks obsolete and makes you think the planes are old. Something like Singapore Airlines style would be good for them.
SQ has an outdated logo unchanged for decades. The AI branding isn’t bad, it’s just that they aren’t SQ. However many new aircraft they invest in, their service will probably be reminiscent of the third rate call centres located there.
I would fully disagree. The AI branding is very old, hasn't aged well and is too fussy. It needs to be 'cleaner', simplified and exude more confidence - think big global carriers. Personally, I'd like to see them retain elements of the Vistara identity (purple and gold brand colours, possibly even the font) or at least leverage the Vistara branding/ name for onboard products or classes, for example branding their business class as Vistara class...
I would fully disagree. The AI branding is very old, hasn't aged well and is too fussy. It needs to be 'cleaner', simplified and exude more confidence - think big global carriers. Personally, I'd like to see them retain elements of the Vistara identity (purple and gold brand colours, possibly even the font) or at least leverage the Vistara branding/ name for onboard products or classes, for example branding their business class as Vistara class maybe, Vistara Club lounges etc.
I believe one of the Indian Government's conditions for any buyer was to retain the Air India brand. So while Tata probably have a lot of leeway when it comes to how they update the AI branding, dropping it in favor of Vistara was never an option.