WINGING ITS WAY

India’s airlines and airports are yet to come out of the biggest crisis in their history. Why is then everyone gung-ho about the aviation industry?

- K. SUNIL THOMAS

A vegetarian who loves 'regular' south Indian fare, Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran is not particularly known to be a gourmet. Yet, one of the first steps he initiated after Tata bought back Air India was to jazz up the inflight food.

Out went Air India's four-year-old ban on non-vegetarian food in domestic economy. The airline rolled out an enhanced meal service on the Delhi-Mumbai trunk route, followed by the rest. Caterers and flight kitchens were briefed and the fully-loaded meal tray came complete with an appetiser, a piping hot main course (veg or non-veg), followed by dessert, tea and coffee. Cabin crew are said to be undergoing refresher courses on table setting of multi-course meals. A circular in January brought back melamine and porcelain cups for tea/coffee, and highball glasses and wine goblets for beverages. Goodbye, plastic and styrofoam!

“The food and the service were better. The ground staff were courteous,” said Delhi-based lawyer Divya Nair, who recently took an Air India domestic flight. “But then, the seats were dirty and rickety. The cabin looked shabby.”

Chandrasekaran knows a lot more needs to be done. “The task is huge... but we have the entire nation wanting us to succeed,” he said in an address to employees after Tata formally took over the national carrier. “This will require a huge transformation, probably the largest transformation you would ever go through.”