Dear Colleagues,

Exactly 10 years ago, a new resurgent Air India was born. As you are aware I have just taken
over as head of the Air India family and I do feel honoured to introduce myself to you on the
historic and auspicious occasion of the Foundation Day of Air India.

It is a day which scripted a landmark in the aviation history of this country. Today, the new Air
India has spread its wings far and wide and ranks amongst the top airlines in the world by dint of
its sheer legacy, inherent strength, universal acceptance and a very powerful brand presence. Air
India has been surging ahead despite all challenges to reclaim its glorious days of the past and
attain further excellence. I heartily congratulate and greet all Air Indians on this historic day. I
would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate all my fellow Air Indians who have
completed 25 years of service with the company and have received the coveted Long Service
Memento on the occasion.

I have been associated with the national carrier as a Board member during its nascent days as a
merged carrier and I am largely familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of Air India. I have
no hesitation in sharing my optimism about our future as a leading airline company that will
have the virtues of a heritage carrier with over eight decades of flying . I have full faith in your
capabilities and experience and am sure that we will work as a team and do everything to further
strengthen the profitability of the company.

In our constant endeavor to provide the best services to our flyers, we have introduced new
flights to international destinations and will continue to launch new routes in the days to come.
In the domestic sector too, we have been connecting the tier 2 and tier 3 cities with our metro
cities in sync with the Central Governments Udan mission- to make the common man fly. Along
with extending our network, we will be inducting new aircraft to augment our fleet with state of
the art aircraft like the Dreamliners and A320Neos.

The last one year has been marked by tremendous improvements in every field. Financially, we
have improved. Our losses have declined, our revenues have increased, our Passenger Load
Factor has risen and there has been robustness in our operations. We have also been fulfilling our
role of a national carrier by standing by our nation during any natural calamity or strife.

Our association with Star Alliance continues to grow. We have successfully completed over two
years of our association with the worlds most prestigious consortium of major airlines. Being
the only airline from the subcontinent to be part of the elite league, we are offering our
passengers unparalleled connectivity and luxury.

I again wish all Air Indians on this historic occassion and exhort you all to rededicate yourself
towards turning around our beloved Air India and make it a force to reckon with in the days to
come.

Rajiv Bansal
CMD