Maharaja meets the makeup man

NEW DELHI: The Maharajah will get to show off his new wardrobe by February ’07, when Air-India’s wide-bodied aircraft join the fleet. As part of its re-branding exercise, the airline will sport a new look, with enhanced in-flight service and improved on-ground customer facilities.

The much-talked about attire of air hostesses will undergo a change too. The good old saree will continue, but with a designer touch. ‘‘Brand Air-India will continue to reflect Indian ethnicity,” V Thulsidas, chairman & MD, Air-India, told ET. Following the re-branding exercise, ‘Maharajah’, Air India’s mascot, will undergo an evolutionary change, he added.
Mr Thulsidas said Air-India will be cautious about its makeover this time round. ‘‘The new look was not well taken by the consumers last time when A-I tried experimenting with it,” he conceded.

The carrier had gone in for an image change in 1987, when the Maharajah’s role as mascot had got relegated. But this time, the Maharajah is back with a bang.

The airline has already started making some cosmetic changes in its look-and-feel. Its logo, the ‘Centaur’, has witnessed minor changes, with the archer’s bow and arrow pointing upwards, signifying future growth prospects of the airline. The hyphen in ‘Air-India’ has also been dropped. Fresh tags such as ‘Flywell’ have been added.

The CMD said the look of the Air-India aircraft will not see any prominent changes. In the case of Air-India Express, the low-cost subsidiary, the aircraft will continue to sport different cultural designs on its tail.

Last year, Air-India had hired a brand-building firm, Alia Group, to rejuvenate the brand. The board of directors has sanctioned a budget of Rs 400 crore, to be spent over two-year, for refurbishing existing aircraft fleet; and upgrading lounges, ticketing and customer interaction services, aircraft interiors, upholstery, and livery.