Despite the controversies swirling around it, AirAsia India is going ahead with its plans to fly international routes by this year-end and expects to go public in the near future.

“We have the investments in place. Our pockets are full, talent is in and we are hiring in advance,” the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Amar Abrol, told BusinessLine .

AirAsia India has committed to invest $50 million to expand operations, including adding more aircraft to its fleet.

Abrol also clarified that only a complaint and not an FIR has been filed so far with the Bengaluru Police, city crime branch, on the ₹22-crore fraud highlighted by erstwhile Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry.

The airline currently has 10 aircraft and 10 more will be added this year. In December 2016, the airline crossed sales of over ₹100 crore, the highest since operations began in June 2014.

Abrol said the first step towards profitability was to be gross profit positive and cash flow positive. “It will take a while as we are investing heavily this year because we are getting many more aircraft,” he said.

The airline has also improved upon its on-time performance from a low of 55 per cent in December 2015 to about 85 per cent in December 2016. “We work like the fashion industry. We put together the plan six months in advance,” he said.

Abrol, who is the airline’s second CEO after Mittu Chandilya left the company last year, said both the JV partners, Tata Sons and AirAsia Berhad, are fully supportive of the team that runs the airline.

He said that even though both companies have interests in several other ventures, the airline gives out contracts based solely on its best interest. Even though the Tatas have an insurance company, AAI has contracted Reliance for staff insurance, while the telecom contract has been given to Reliance Jio because it offered the best deal.

Going it alone

He also said that AirAsia India will fly international routes on its own instead of taking the help of either AirAsia Berhad or Vistara.

He said the airline would fly to all destinations that can be reached within 3-4 hours. “At a group level, there are bigger aircraft. If there is a demand, we can go in for wide-bodied aircraft. But as of now, the A320 will be our mainstay.”

He also said that the airline might enter a code-share pact with Air Asia Thailand or Malaysia as they fly deep into those regions though it will not happen immediately.

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