On Vihaan 1st anniversary, Air India CEO lists plans, pilot safety & efficiency measures

New Delhi: Celebrating Air India's Vihaan first anniversary, CEO Campbell Wilson on Friday highlighted its various accomplishments, future objectives, and specifically discussed measures taken to combat pilot fatigue which is a significant contributor to flight disruptions.

In an email, Wilson said, “Today, September 15, marks Vihaan.AI’s first anniversary. While the hard work of writing this historic airline’s next chapter began well before that, it was the launch of Air India’s ambitious transformation plan that really accelerated our progress.

“Though there are many miles left to go, every one of you should be proud of all the work you’ve put in thus far. There’s no final destination when it comes to building -- and staying - a world-class airline, but every day we measure significant progress in our five transformation pillars which takes us closer to where we want to be.

“We’ve put together a snapshot of some of our most recent milestones -- unveiling our new brand identity, getting the CCI’s green light for Air India’s merger with Vistara and launching the Jeppesen suite being just a few. When the scale of effort is so large, it’s only natural to look at what is yet to be done so, on occasions like this, we should all take a moment to acknowledge what has been achieved. So, take a moment to congratulate yourselves and see how far we have come in the past year!,” he said.

“Of course, one of the major milestones of the last year was our historic aircraft order. Since then there’s been a huge amount of work done to prepare ourselves for their entry to service, and to formalise all the agreements and contracts,” he further said.

“Earlier this week, I joined colleagues from the strategic procurement team in a visit to the Rolls-Royce factory in Derby, UK, where we completed the contracts for the engines that will power our new fleet of A350s," he further wrote in the email.

"Whilst there we inspected the production line, engine test bed and the heritage centre that reinforced just how pivotal Rolls Royce was to so many of aviation’s greatest achievements over the last 100+ years. It was also interesting to learn of the long history between, particularly, Indian Airlines and Rolls-Royce, and nice to resume the relationship after a number of years absence,” the CEO email read.

The email also detailed the airline's intentions to introduce two initiatives, the Pilot Sector Report (PSR) app and DocuNet!, aimed at enhancing safety, efficiency, and compliance.

“Further, we are introducing two new digital tools -- the Pilot Sector Report (PSR) app and DocuNet! These tools will revolutionise our flight operations and pilot satisfaction by improving safety, efficiency, and compliance. The PSR app streamlines post-flight reporting while DocuNet simplifies document distribution, ensuring up-to-date and synchronised information. Both tools are user-friendly and integrate seamlessly with our existing systems,” the CEO added.

Vihaan.AI, a comprehensive five-year transformation plan, began last year and has been referred to as 'Taxi'. The first phase concentrated on addressing long-standing issues within the flag carrier and establishing the groundwork for future growth. This marked the commencement of the second phase, 'Take Off', which is dedicated to developing the necessary platforms, processes, and systems to achieve excellence.