In a Return back move, Leading Indian carrier Air India has announced a new multi-year deal with Sabre Corporation to enable travel agents and corporations around the world to access the carrier’s fares and seats through Sabre’s global travel marketplace.
Earlier in January 2020 , Air India had decided to discontinue distributing its content through the Sabre GDS , after a successful 20-year relationship . The erstwhile national carrier had then chosen a deal with Amadeus GDS with discounted premium to cut its operating costs.
At that time, Air India also defended the selection of the pricier Amadeus bid for its passenger service system (PSS). This will give the airline an edge over its peers.
To save its interests in the sub-continent, Sabre moved court in June after Air India selected Amadeus for the contract and accused the national carrier of favouritism in the selection.
In the court — The national carrier made its submission in the Delhi High Court (HC) after Sabre challenged the tender process, alleging favouritism in the PSS contract. Sabre had claimed acquiring its product will save the airline Rs 900 crore.
Scenario has changed since then , the National carrier Air India has been privatised , with the placement of the biggest aircraft order in aviation history for 470 aircraft, Air India is on the path of an ambitious expansion plans.
In addition to the distribution services, Air India is utilizing Sabre’s consultancy expertise to help determine optimal routes for its existing and new fleet.
“The Indian travel market is back, and it’s coming back strong,” said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer, Air India. “So, we’re delighted to have re-established, and enhanced, our relationship with Sabre at this transformative time for Air India, and the wider Indian travel marketplace. "
"This long-term global distribution partnership will support our ambitious growth plans while paving the ground for our transition towards a more dynamic, merchandising-focused model, designed to unlock the value of Air India’s products and services.”
“As well as coming together once more under a new GDS agreement, we’re excited to be working hand-in-hand with Sabre’s incredibly knowledgeable consultancy team on the development of a clean-sheet, long-term network plan,” added Mr Aggarwal.
“We are confident this will strengthen Air India’s position in our domestic and international routes, and help us to become more competitive on the global aviation stage. We are delighted to further strengthen our relationship with Sabre, and look forward to closer collaboration in the coming years.”
Now under the ownership of the Tata Group, Air India, as part of its five-year transformation plan, titled Vihaan.AI because it means ‘the dawn of a new era’ in Sanskrit, is substantially expanding its fleet and network, revamping its customer proposition, and improving reliability in operations to emerge as one of the world’s premier carriers.
The new deal marks an important new chapter in the relationship between Air India and Sabre and is testament to Sabre’s commitment to the Indian travel market. Air India content is expected to be available from 4 May through Sabre’s travel marketplace. The expertise housed in Sabre’s Bengaluru capability centre will provide close proximity support for Air India’s innovation and transformation journey.
While historically, airlines building a schedule for the next season have relied on previous plans, clean-sheet scheduling gives carriers the ultimate flexibility to develop a more optimal schedule for operational efficiency, increased reliability, enhanced revenue, and traveller satisfaction.
Sabre’s consultancy work with Air India includes an in-depth market evaluation, the development of new hub and schedule structural designs, and detailed planning of route network and capacity over a 10-year horizon, as well as the optimization of fleet assignment across its system.
“We are confident Air India will gain substantial value by having access and reach to Sabre’s global network of travel agencies, in conjunction with benefiting from our route planning expertise,” said Roshan Mendis, Chief Commercial Officer, Sabre Travel Solutions. “And, our travel agency partners in India and around the world will gain greatly from having access to Air India’s products and services.”
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