The highly competitive nature of the Indian aviation industry may be forcing airlines to cramp in as many passengers as possible. But now airlines in India are also realising the importance of catering to the segment which wants to fly in comfort and luxury.

The latest to catch on is the national carrier Air India which has now decided to go in for a new model of first class on its new 777 series planes to be deployed for long haul-flights and has also entered into a $50 million pact with Italian seat manufacturer Avio Interior for getting state-of-the- art seats for these aircraft.

The move to select these new seats comes after the carrier asked top honchos of India Inc to give their suggestions on improving the facilities and seating arrangements of first class and business class. The revamped structure of Air India’s planes and the new seats are thanks to suggestions from CEOs like Ratan Tata and Deepak Parekh.

In its efforts to improve the amenities and enhance passenger experience in long-haul flights, the airline is now planning to have only four first class seats on eight of its 301 seater 777-200 LR and 15 of its 365 seater 777-300 ER aircraft. A bulk of these aircraft will be deployed on the airlines long-haul routes to US and Europe.

Moreover, in a bid to optimise its returns from non-core operations, national carrier Air India is beefing up its cargo-handling business.

The airline, which had recently won a contract to handle cargo for the greenfield Bangalore International Airport (BIAL), plans to invest Rs 41 crore for building a state-of-the-art cargo complex at the new venture. It is also in the race for setting up a similar facility at the greenfield Hyderabad airport.

... contd.