Priyanka Tiwari
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Starting April 1, Air India will require all its staff—including top executives—to travel in economy class to ensure that premium seats are available for paying customers. This move comes as part of the airline’s broader effort to enhance its customer-centric image following criticism over recent flight delays.
According to a report by The Times of India, which the airline has confirmed, upgrades to premium economy or business class will be allowed only if those seats remain unsold 50 minutes before the flight's departure.
An Air India spokesperson said, "With this, we want to ensure that our premium seats—for which we are seeing huge demand—are available for booking to our customers first, demonstrating a culture of customer-centricity in the new Air India."
India remains one of the fastest-growing major aviation markets globally, with domestic air passenger traffic increasing at a consistent annual rate of 10–12% over the past decade, as per government data.
Since its privatization and acquisition by Tata Group in 2022, Air India has undergone major transformation efforts. These include a merger with Vistara (a Tata-Singapore Airlines joint venture), rebranding initiatives, large aircraft orders, and substantial cabin upgrades.
In its latest strategic move, Air India is also exploring a multi-billion dollar order for widebody aircraft from both Boeing and Airbus, according to a recent Reuters report.
This policy change is one more step in Air India’s ongoing push to modernize its operations, improve customer experience, and reclaim its reputation in the competitive aviation market.
