From next Monday, Air India and Indian will function as one company — National Aviation Company India Limited (NACIL) — with Air India as its brand name.

While the first flight under the combined entity will take off on August 1 with a non-stop flight from Mumbai to New York using a latest Boeing 777-200 (Long Range) aircraft, the company will start using its new logo at airport counters also from that date.

Cabin crew will get new uniforms and passengers will receive new boarding passes from next month. However, the new entity will have to continue using the IC code of Indian for domestic travel for some more time as integrating the two airlines’ systems is expected to take over a year. Also, the old fleet will fly in existing colours while new aircraft will sport the new colours.

In addition to the merger of the Indian and AI, the Air India Express and Alliance Air, Indian’s short haul arm, will also merge. Alliance, will get six regional jets on lease and by October will function as AIE, which would fly both domestic and international as low-fare carrier. Air India CMD V Thulasidas and Indian CMD Vishwapati Trivedi have already been appointed as the new company’s CMD and MD. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel here on Tuesday.