Who Named Air India? How Tata's Airline Got Its Name 78 Years Ago

Air India, the pioneering airline, not only defined air travel in India but also represented Indian culture in an industry dominated by the West. It was born from J.R.D Tata's vision to transform aviation in India. Although it started during the colonial period, it became a symbol of India's independence.?The inaugural scheduled flight took off on October 15, 1932, from Karachi to Bombay, with J.R.D Tata himself as the pilot. Tata had successfully persuaded the colonial government to grant him permission to carry mail from Karachi to Bombay, a journey that previously took days, using an airplane. This marked the beginning of Air India. Over time, Air India expanded its services to include passenger flights, both domestically and internationally.

The Legacy of Air India

As the Second World War began, all the aircraft of Tata Airlines were acquired by the colonial government. After the war ended in 1946, J.R.D Tata decided to convert Tata Airlines into a public company, renaming it Air India, and offering 49 percent ownership to the government. He believed that this airline had significant potential to contribute to the economic and political development of independent India. But did you know how the airline got its name? Here's all you need to know.

Explained: Who Named Air India? How Airline Got Its Name 77 Years Ago

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How Tata's Air India Got its Name

More than 77 years ago, a survey among Tata employees to choose from four names resulted in the country's first airline company being named as 'Air India'.?

Tatas had lost control of Air India nearly seven decades ago before regaining it in 2022. Back in 1946, when Tata Air Lines expanded from a division of Tata Sons into a company, a name was to be chosen.

According to a Tata Group?bulletin shared on Feb 2022, Tatas were faced with the task of finding a name for the new Air Line Company, which they were forming to take over and expand the activities of Tata Airlines, which had previously operated as a department of Tata Sons Limited. The options were Indian Air Lines, Air-India Pan-Indian Air Lines, and Trans-Indian Air Lines.

The bulletin mentioned that due to the inherently democratic mindset of the Head of the Tata organization, it seemed wise to let the selection be made by popular opinion in Bombay House through a sort of Gallup Poll or Sample Opinion Survey.

Voting papers were distributed to ascertain the views of representative sections of opinion among Tata employees, who were asked to indicate their first and second preferences.

Explained: Who Named Air India? How Airline Got Its Name 77 Years Ago

"The initial count revealed 64 votes for Air-India, 51 for Indian Air Lines, 28 for Trans-Indian Air Lines, and 19 for Pan-Indian Air Lines. When the less favored names had been eliminated, the final count showed 72 votes for Air India and 58 for Indian Air Lines.

"Thus, the name of the new company comes to be 'AIR-INDIA'," the bulletin said.

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Tata Group to Consolidate Air India and Vistara

In an official statement, the Tata Group announced the consolidation of its airlines. With this consolidation, Air India will become India’s premier domestic and international carrier, boasting a combined fleet of 218 aircraft, thereby securing its position as India’s largest international carrier and the second-largest domestic carrier.

The market had been abuzz with speculation about such a move for several weeks. Air India, a Tata Sons-owned airline, has long been the flag carrier of India. Tata Sons, through its fully-owned subsidiary, Talace, acquired a 100 per cent stake in Air India on 27th January 2022.

Vistara, a 51:49 Joint Venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines Limited (“SIA”), was established in 2013 and stands as India’s foremost full-service carrier with international operations spanning the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

"Following the necessary approvals, Vistara will merge with Air India. In addition, as part of the merger, SIA will inject Rs 2,059 crore into Air India. After the consolidation, SIA will hold a 25.1 percent stake in Air India. The transaction is expected to be finalized by March 2024," the statement affirmed.

Air India Express Cabin Crew Issue

In a replay of last month's trouble at full-service Vistara, which is being merged with Air India, more than 300 AI Express cabin crew members started reporting sick from Tuesday afternoon, forcing the cancellation of more than 90 flights till Wednesday evening.

Crew members unhappy with Tata

The salaries of crew members have been slashed by almost 20 per cent owing to the merger of Air India Express with AirAsia India, reported ET.

Air India Express, before the merger, used to operate only in Middle Eastern countries and its crew were paid multiple allowances, After the merger, the crew now also has to fly to domestic destinations due to which some allowances are not paid, for example a layover allowance, which is paid to crew for overnight stay at foreign destinations.

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