Aloke Singh to head Air India's low cost airline biz from January 1

Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh will be the chief of Air India's low-cost airline business from January 1 next year, according to an internal communication.

The Low Cost Carrier (LCC) business will comprise AirAsia India and Air India Express.

"The two constituent airlines will continue to have the full complement of regulatory post-holders until the merger is complete but, for now, a single CEO will provide the clarity and singular accountability necessary to navigate the process," Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson said in the internal communication.

Singh will be the sole CEO of the Air India LCC airline with effect from January 1, 2023.

According to the internal communication, current AirAsia India CEO Sunil Bhaskaran will assume the leadership of a new initiative -- an aviation training academy.

After taking over loss-making Air India in January this year, Tata group has been working on consolidating its airline business.

On November 2, Air India said an operational review process is underway to integrate budget carrier AirAsia India with Air India Express and the merger is likely to be completed by the end of 2023.

The merger is aimed at having a single low-cost carrier for the Air India group. Post-merger, the entity will be branded as Air India Express, it had said.

AirAsia India was launched in 2014 while Air India Express started operations back in 2005.

Currently, four airlines are part of the Tata group. They are Air India, Air India Express, AirAsia India and Vistara. The latter is a joint venture with Singapore Airlines.

On November 29, Tata group announced the merger of Vistara with Air India under a deal wherein Singapore Airlines will also acquire a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India. The deal, which will make Air India the country's largest international carrier and second-largest domestic airline, is expected to be completed by March 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.