Ratan Tata's Aviation Dream: Air India Return & Legacy

New Delhi/ Mumbai, Oct 10 (PTI) An architect by qualification and an aviator by passion, Ratan Tata realised the dream of loss-making Air India flying back to the Tata hangar.

Tata, 86, breathed his last on the night of October 9, little over a month before the completion of the Air India-Vistara merger that will also see Singapore Airlines snapping up 25.1 per cent stake in Air India.

He flew planes and fighter aircraft but his longing for Tatas to pilot Air India again remained a dream till January 2022. For years, many headwinds came the way in the group's efforts to come back into the aviation space through Air India.

Finally, the aviation efforts took wings, first with AirAsia India and the second with Vistara, a joint venture with Singapore Airlines.

AirAsia India -- which changed its name to AIX Connect and got merged with Air India Express on October 1 this year -- first took to the skies in 2014 as a joint venture with Malaysia's AirAsia Berhad. The budget airline later was wholly-owned by the Tata Group.

Vistara started flying in January 2015 as a full-service carrier.

"The Tata Group welcomes Air India's new customers and is excited to work together to make Air India the airline of choice in terms of passenger comfort and service," Ratan Tata said in a message days after completing the acquisition of the airline on January 27, 2022.

Set up by JRD Tata in 1932, Tata Airlines was later nationalised and the name was also changed to Air India.

Over the years, Ratan Tata's longing to bring back Air India under the stewardship of Tata Group remained a dream.

Back in 1994, Tata Group and Singapore Airlines made efforts to set up a joint venture airline in India. Six years later, they again tried to enter the country's aviation market, this time by teaming up to acquire stakes in Air India.

However, the two attempts did not take-off. Finally, the dream was realised as Vistara took to the Indian skies in January 2015. And in November 2022, Tata Group announced the merger of Vistara with Air India.

Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong, who described Tata as a cherished partner and a dear friend, said Tata played a pivotal role in setting up Vistara over a decade ago, laying the foundation for a strong and enduring relationship between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines.

According to Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan, the aviation vertical was especially close to Tata's heart.

In the words of Remi Maillard, President & Managing Director at Airbus India & South Asia, Tata's passion for aviation is well known and his zeal and vision for the revival of Air India as part of the Tata family will continue to inspire.

While paying tributes to Tata, InterGlobe Enterprises Group Managing Director Rahul Bhatia on Thursday said IndiGo will, ever so modestly, walk alongside Air India to secure India's rightful seat at the centre stage of global aviation.

Both Air India and IndiGo are expanding their fleets and networks as they seek to tap the air travel potential in India, which is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets.

Meanwhile, in late 2021, Ratan Tata said while it will take considerable effort to rebuild Air India, it will hopefully provide a very strong market opportunity to the Tata Group's presence in the aviation industry.

On an emotional note, Air India, under the leadership of JRD Tata, had, at one time, gained the reputation of being one of the most prestigious airlines in the world. Tatas will have the opportunity of regaining the image and reputation it enjoyed in earlier years, he had said.

Now, as Air India flies on the transformation trajectory, Tata might well be watching the progress from the skies.