Air India's Plan to Improve Reliability and Collaboration with Singapore Airlines

Air India is collaborating with Singapore Airlines on industry best practices to improve aircraft reliability and operational efficiency. The carrier is retrofitting its legacy planes and has started work on its wide-body fleet. Air India aims to complete the retrofit of all 26 legacy Boeing 787-8 planes by June 2027 and all 27 A320 neo aircraft by September 2025. The airline is also working with OEMs to resolve supply chain and spare part availability issues.

Air India, under the Tata Group's ownership, is actively working to improve the reliability and operational efficiency of its aircraft fleet through a collaboration with Singapore Airlines. The initiative aims to address the challenges faced by the airline following the fatal crash of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft on June 12, 2022.

The collaboration includes retrofitting legacy planes and enhancing maintenance practices. Air India is focusing on retrofitting its wide-body fleet, starting with Boeing 787-8 planes. The first plane, sent for retrofit to the US last month, is expected to rejoin the fleet by December 2025 [1]. The carrier aims to complete the retrofit of all 26 legacy Boeing 787-8 planes by June 2027 and all 27 A320 neo aircraft by September 2025.

Singapore Airlines, which holds a 25.1% stake in Air India, is providing expertise to support the airline's transformation and MRO capabilities. The collaboration includes exchanging notes on industry best practices and working on various areas of improvement, including engineering and operations [1].

Air India is also addressing supply chain and spare part availability issues by working with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to resolve these bottlenecks [1]. The carrier's Net Promoter Score (NPS), an indicator of customer satisfaction, saw a dip from June 13-17 due to Iran airspace closure and disruptions, additional safety pauses, and engineering checks. However, it rose to 35 in July from 18 in June, indicating an improvement in customer sentiment [1].

Air India has a fleet of around 190 planes and aims to complete the retrofit of all legacy Dreamliners by the middle of 2027. The carrier has also started the heavy refresh program of its legacy Boeing 777s, which is expected to complete by the end of 2025.

The collaboration with Singapore Airlines is part of Air India's broader strategy to improve safety and reliability, which includes bringing aircraft maintenance in-house with assistance from the Singaporean carrier [2]. The move follows a deadly crash, sector-wide safety audit findings, and a temporary safety-related pause in service.

Air India's relationship with Singapore Airlines in terms of assistance with aircraft maintenance comes full circle, as it had been the one helping the Singapore-based airline during the 1970s. The collaboration is expected to enhance the airline's MRO capabilities and capacity within the country, supporting its fleet expansion plans.

References:
[1] https://m.economictimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/air-india-collaborating-with-singapore-airlines-on-industry-best-practices-ceo-campbell-wilson/articleshow/123190114.cms
[2] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/air-india-may-shift-some-aircraft-maintenance-away-from-govt-company-to-singapore-airlines-after-fatal-crash/articleshow/123135307.cms