Air India seeks $1.5B from owners Tata, Singapore Airlines

Air India has requested a substantial $1.5 billion in funding from its owners, Tata and Singapore Airlines, marking one of its largest publicly reported shareholder funding requests since Tata took control of the carrier in 2022. This demand underscores the difficulties the airline faces as it undergoes a multi-billion-dollar transformation, which includes refurbishing its current fleet.

The carrier and its budget subsidiary, Air India Express, recorded combined losses of $2.33 billion in the fiscal year concluding March, more than double the losses from the previous year. These losses have also impacted Singapore Airlines' profitability.

Air India is demanding the funds immediately, although the funding is likely to be disbursed in stages. Singapore Airlines would have to contribute its share for the investment to proceed, according to two sources familiar with the situation. The airline is requesting fresh equity to support its efforts, though no decision has been made on the request, and discussions are ongoing. Both Air India and Tata Sons declined to comment on the matter when approached by Reuters.

The funding request is a response to several challenges Air India has encountered, including Pakistan's airspace ban on Indian carriers, disruptions to its international network due to the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, and the impact of a fatal crash last year that claimed 260 lives. The airline's funding request arrives as Tata Sons Chair N. Chandrasekaran prepares to resign in February following months of conflict with the group's controlling charitable trust, largely due to Air India's persistent losses.

Chandrasekaran has stated that Air India's turnaround may take up to a decade, citing ongoing supply-chain issues and the need to overhaul the airline's legacy systems, culture, and fleet.

Air India has attempted to postpone the delivery of numerous aircraft on order from Airbus and Boeing, as Tata pushes the carrier to reduce costs and address its record losses. The airline is anticipated to necessitate further capital injections in the coming years, according to one of the sources.