Since the Tata takeover, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has repeatedly fined Air India over safety and other regulatory violations, including an Rs8mn ($95,000) penalty last year for exceeding flight duty time limits. At home, it is competing in a near-duopoly with IndiGo, which has been boosting its international long-haul routes.

The Tata Group, which bought the airline three years ago, has been trying to improve operations at a time of great change in India’s aviation market.

The Tata group is reportedly in talks with global consulting firm McKinsey & Company to lead a significant revamp of struggling airline, Air India.