At a time when embattled Air India is losing on almost every front, an alliance with Star Alliance, the leading global airline network, could have helped resurrect its flagging image
At a time when embattled Air India is losing on almost every front, an alliance with Star Alliance, the leading global airline network, could have helped resurrect its flagging image.
But the national carrier's hopes of a tie up with the international giant were dashed on July 31 when Star Alliance denied the cash-strapped airline membership in its privy league.
MiD DAY spoke with a few experts, including former top honchos of Air India, on the current development.
"I think that Star Alliance was really interested to have Air India as a partner from the Indian market since 2007, but seeing the crisis the national carrier is going through they might have changed their mind.
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There is a well-defined and established joining procedure with clear quality and performance criteria as per the standards of star alliance group and Air India apparently failed to meet those standards," said former Chief Operating Officer of Air India, Gustav Baldauf.
"When I joined Air India in 2007, it was a very difficult situation. We could have helped turn it around, provided we got necessary support from banks and the government," he added.
The former managing director of Air India, captain D S Mathur, said, "This is a major setback for the airline.
Increase in network certainly increases the business and there are several other factors on time flights and scheduled integrity that could have helped resurrect Air India's image. We missed a golden opportunity."
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