Air India has recorded cash profits on Rs 20 crores as well as enjoyed increased revenue, yield and seat factor despite a drop in capacity. This information was provided by Rita Motilal, GM – Commercial PAX SBU, Air India, at a lunch hosted by Air India in Mumbai recently as a thanksgiving gesture to their trade partners. She further informed that the airline has enjoyed a 75 per cent international load factor and an 80 per cent domestic load factor on average as of March 2013.
Addressing the gathering, R Harihar, ED- Project, Air India stated that the airline has witnessed growth in the western region as a result of which the carrier was able to re-introduce its Riyadh and London flights from Mumbai last year. “We are now awaiting the return of the Boeing 787 which will add tremendously to our cash margins. Following its re-introduction we hope to commence daily operations to Melbourne and Sydney from Delhi, as well as add routes that are still in the discussion stage and will be announced at a later date,” he said.
He further added that Air India looks forward to the FY 2013-14 for two major developments – the return of the Dreamliner, and the launch of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport T2. Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Harihar revealed that while the national carrier is yet to notch profits, the gap between the costs incurred and the revenue earned is narrowing. “We have made cash profits but it will take time for the gap to narrow down enough for profits to seep in. The revival of shelved flight routes followed by the addition of new ones will aid in this mission,” he concluded.
