New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS): Air India has deployed specially trained Service Assurance Officers (SAOs) at 16 major Indian airports, who will offer on-ground assistance across airport touchpoints to Air India guests who may require it – at check-in areas or lounges, near the boarding gates, during transit, or at the arrival hall.

This comes under Air India ‘Project Abhinandan’ aimed at providing personalised and hassle-free on-ground experience to its guests at airports. The officers will be deployed at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Calicut, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Varanasi, and Visakhapatnam.

“These officers are trained to sense passenger concerns at airports and will be placed at strategic touchpoints to proactively engage with guests, provide support, or troubleshoot any issues. They are also trained to address unforeseen issues such as missed flights, delayed baggage delivery and misconnections at airports, among others,” said an airline official.

Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience and Ground Handling Officer, Air India, said: “Airport experiences can be daunting for many air travellers, despite how frequently one travels. ‘Project Abhinandan’ is our sincere effort to simplify the airport experience for our guests and make a meaningful difference to their overall travel experience, and more broadly, to make them feel at ease and welcomed when they fly with us.”

“We are constantly evaluating new ways to enhance that experience in our effort to transform Air India into a truly world-class airline. ‘Project Abhinandan’ service is a step in that direction,” Dogra said.