India deserves to have non-stop flights to more overseas destinations: Air India CEO

Mr. Wilson, who is piloting Air India’s massive expansion plans in terms of fleet as well as routes, also said that IndiGo succeeding well and Tata airlines coming together provides a good competitor to the strength of IndiGo.

Asserting that India deserves to have international non-stop connectivity to more destinations, Air India chief Campbell Wilson has said the country has in some respect not been able to control its own destiny as a consequence of not having a healthy domestic airline industry.

Mr. Wilson, who is piloting Air India's massive expansion plans in terms of fleet as well as routes, also said that IndiGo succeeding well and Tata airlines coming together provides a good competitor to the strength of IndiGo.

"It should hopefully allow for a market that is more sustainable, ideally profitable that will allow airlines to invest in new products, expand network and also lead India to assume its place on the world aviation stage...," he told PTI in a recent interview.

Tata Group took over Air India and Air India Express from the government in January last year.

Currently, the group has four carriers under its fold - Air India, Air India Express, AIX Connect (earlier known as AirAsia India) and Vistara, a joint venture with Singapore Airlines.

The group is also in the process of merging Air India Express and AIX Connect, and Vistara with Air India.

Responding to a query about the crisis at Go First, Mr. Wilson said it is very unfortunate.