Just as it looked that the ailing national carrier Air India will take-off on the wings of a Rs.30,000 crore bailout package, the agitation by well over 200 pilots belonging to the Indian Pilots Guild has once again grounded the airline. At the height of the tourist season and summer vacation for domestic traffic, these pilots started reporting “sick,” forcing the airline to cancel some of its flights, including about 20 international flights. And what was the reason? They are worried about their career prospects and promotions because pilots from the erstwhile Indian Airlines are being trained to fly the new 787 ‘Dreamliner' aircraft that are about to join the fleet. Recently, when the pilots protested against non-payment of salaries and flying allowances, there was much sympathy for their cause because a highly mismanaged Air India had racked up four months worth of arrears. It was only after a schedule of payment was worked out did the pilots call off their strike and resume flying. This time round, not only has the airline management decided to act tough with them, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the travelling public are aghast at the highly irresponsible behaviour of a section of the pilots.
Air India has sacked about 20 pilots, derecognised the Guild, dubbed the strike illegal, and sent out medical teams to the houses of pilots who are reporting sick. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has gone a step further to say that, ideally, the government should not be in the airline business and that too in the service industry. But even to disinvest, Air India has to be turned round and made profitable. The question uppermost in the public mind is: why should public and taxpayer money be washed down the drain by bailing out such a mismanaged airline? When there was such a chorus of disapproval against a bailout package to the private Kingfisher airline, what can justify the repeated pumping in of public funds in an airline which is just not able to take-off? The Air India-Indian Airlines merger seems to be the worst management decision in the chequered history of the company. The Justice Dharmadikari committee report is due anytime now, and the least that the Aviation Ministry can do is to set up a panel comprising representatives from the management and the two erstwhile airlines to implement the recommendations. This is perhaps the last opportunity to revive the airline. The pilots have to call off the strike, resume negotiations and find an amicable solution. This is the time not for strikes or agitations but for a focused plan to restructure and resuscitate the airline.
Keywords: Air India financial crisis, pilots' agitation, Indian Pilots Guild, Air India-Indian Airlines merger
The Government must have roped in IIM-Bangalore and Ahmedabad faculty for working out a turn around solution for Air India. It is pathetic and disgraceful that IIMs include success stories in their course curriculum and have never scripted a successful story in management on their own. What use are the IIMs if they do not advise the Government on management solutions when the national airline is in a severe crisis ?. How can the government decide to unite Air India and Indian Airlines based on the advice of an American consultancy ? All public sector corporations must have IIMs mandatorily advising them on management decisions.
De-merge Air India and Indian Airlines now that is the only solution left for the Govt to Put Air India back into the International Map.
Why do we need airindia/ the most corrupt.mismanged and run by rude.arrogant staff who only care about their benefits.the passenger can go to hell as per the staff of airindia.i have flown to india and hongkong.(my place of work)at lest 20 times in the past six years.not even once i took airindia flights.cathay pacific and singapore airline offer superb service and none of ttheir planes are over 5 years old.the pilots and cabin crew of these airlines pamper you so that you never even think of flying by other airlines get rid of airindia lock stock and barrel now.india will be better without it
I believe that the government is itself to be blamed for the present crisis. Ever since Air India & Indian Airlines was merged and the government embarked upon its privatisation programme, all attempts were made in full measure to bring forcefully these PSU's into a loss making units which would be a pretext to hand it over to private enterprises where profit motive seems to be the only golden rule. The politicians, bureaucrats and the top level executives of these PSU's are the real culprits.
Bold editorial from Hindu. The illegal strike syndrome is not in the interests of the
employees, the management and the nation. The employees should call off the strike as
The taxpayers money to the extent of 30,000 crores cannot be wasted, unless there is a
Guarantee of discipline. The nation has lost credibility at the global level and the country
Should not be projected as a VERY WEAK NATION. Bouquets to Mr Ajit Singh for his bold
Stand.C.P.Chandra Das from USA.
I beg to differ with the general opinion that service levels of Air India are pathetic.At least in times when Air India flight schedules are normal, the service levels may not be outstanding, but at least at par with other private airlines.It is not that only Air India flights are delayed.Flights of Jet and Kingfisher are even more notorious for flying late.I can say without doubt that the passenger legroom and in flight cuisine served are the best in Air India.What is ailing Air India then?A lobby including private airline groups and allegedly involving a former Union minister for civil aviation want to see the airline dead, obviously for their vested interests.This resulted in the mis-merger and an inflated order of planes which has killed the airline slowly.The current unrest by a group of pilots for such outrageously illogical reasons may be the latest nail in Air India's coffin by this lobby.The airline deserves a fair chance which unfortunately does not seem to be coming.
Lets get rid of Air India, it is high time now. Even when Air India is functional, the quality of its services are pathetic. Pilots are literally blackmailing AI and wasting tax payers money on strikes. I sincerely hope that sacked pilots are not taken back into job and if strike continues more pilots should be sacked. They deserve no sympathy for making lives of passengers tough and wasting public money.
Reffering to the editorial "Another take-off aborted".
Where are all the money going that are being poured upon Air-India?
There are non stop issues that takes place in the Air-India
department. Say, the sudden strikes, aircraft problems or the series
of illegal licences issued to pilots. Reffering to an experience of my
elder sister, when she boarded Air-India in the mid march of 2012 from
kolkata to delhi, her flight was two to three hours late. The staffs
on board dint responded properly and were rude, they just kept on
saying 'Due to technical problems, the flight is being delayed and
will take off shortly'. But that short period took long hours of delay
with on-board passengers who were suffocating inside. The A/C was not
working and there were lots of mosquitos inside. Passengers pay huge
amount for the Air fare, but in return no safety, assurance and
comfort is being offered.
When one look at the prevailing situation at Air India, it's a kind of deja vu feeling one already saw in the past. First, the air line mismanages it, lets a sinking feeling among the workers and when the pilots in their desperate bid resort to wildcat strike, the management sacks them calling everything they do illegal. Second, the impasse lasts for weeks together. Third, big brother the government after watching the tamasha from the sidelines steps in to as a mediator and promises the moon and asks both the warring sides to patch up. That's the end of Air India drama till the next ones comes along.
Agree to Mr. Winston. We should take help of AIF pilots in this crisis. If commercial pilots are guilty just cancel their licence for ever.
These pilots who have gone on striks and political group if any who is
giving them courage ,may be sarad pawar group should be caught and
ramrodded in public so that in future no one takes country for ransom.
THIS SHOULD BE FULL AND FINAL LESSON BOTH TO PILOTS AND POLITICIANS
The core issue is about the Dream Liner training, which is nothing but more allowances and very lucrative routes to operate, meaning more extra tax free money, that our dear friends from erstwhile AI do not want to part with any of other bothers (IAC guys).Like spoiled brats from very rich background and right connections, they know for sure, the Govt ultimately will give in, an impression that have gone deep down in their mind set through past experiences, one has to be really skeptical whether the present Govt will act swiftly, as President Regan did when the ATC gone on flash strike in the US in the eighties, has any one heard about such strikes any longer sine then!!!
strikes in air india is as popular as a cricket match.They(pilots)will go for strike for their demands,initially government will behave very strictly soon they will be also as cold as kashmir issue.
Finally it appears Praful's dreams are coming true faster than anticipated.BTW who will be the major benefactor in case the Airline is sold? Indigo? Imagine Private airlines being let loose without a competitor like Air India which acts as a price controller. Difficult days ahead indeed for the common traveler in India. The Merger was/is/will be the major cause for this disaster. The common man knows this. Will the minister and the Govt realize this Phenomenal blunder?
The article is very good explaining the whole problem of AirIndia.if any body has to take the blame for the whole crisis from starting, that is one and only Airindia management.It has got lack of vision and irresponsible so far.Even now also it has got no control over the pilots associations.If the management of the airlines is ineffective then everybody will threaten the management by protesting for no genuine reason.Now the urgent thing the govt. should do is to put an effective management in top levels of the organization then all problems will be solved and airline may make profits in a couple of years.......
I would say, liquidate Air India. Pay all the employees 3 or 4 months gross salary as severence pay. It may look an expensive option now, but good for all in the long run. Retain Indian Airlines as the lone national carrier with international and domestic services operating out of New Delhi and Bangalore or similar cities as hubs.
It is foolishness of the AI/IA Pilots to resort to strikes time and again. Deciplinary action should be taken against them.
The biggest mistake made by the UPA govt was to meekly accept an irrational proposal to merge Air India with Indian Airlines, a thoughtless idea given by the Civil Aviation Minister of that time. The govt did not have the guts to reject this red herring because the concerned minister was from an influential coalition partner. The only way out now is to de-merge AI from IA and go back to the previous system of having separate international and domestic flights and ensuring that this separation remains for good.
First, there should be no comparison between bailing out Air India and King Fisher. King Fisher is completely private airliner, if it is in loss, no taxpayer money should be put in for its revival because the profits which they get will go into the Mr.Mallaya's coffer not to the government. But in case of Air India, if it can be resuscitated, government can reap out the profits can be spent on public as well.
Secondly, government should set up a empowered committee to oversee the functioning of the airline with very limited government interference. The committee should be given every right to take reforms that will put the airline back on track. Only then justification can be done to the tax payers money that is being put it.
Alongside the sale also sack Praful Patel whom the
UPA promoted as a cabinet misniter even as the people are carrying the
can he has given to them. With this tough but bitter decision,the
message can go around that the government means business even if belatedly.
Now Rs,. 30000 crore bail out has been announced. At this stage comes
the strike of the fat cats of Air India. What this strike for? For the
Air India pilots only should get the chance for training on the
Dreamliner. It is plain common sense that the merger process and this
differentiation between the two entities once the merger has started
do not go together. Even with pouring Rs. 30000 croes there is no
guarantee that the airliens will run profitably. Considering all
these, there is no alternative for the government than to sell it to
any brave enterprenutr who is prepared to take the risk and make good
the airlines with his money, initiative and tough management. The
nation is prepared to foot the bill for whatever the loss it may
entail. They will think that this is the price they have to pay for
having minsters who take rash decisions, ministries which are file
bound and not nourishes of public enterprisers, the management as weak
Several such 'last opportunty' have come and gone. See the sequence. Five years ago, the minister announced the merger; it came to know much alter that in taking this decision he did not carry the concerned entities with him. He did not use his political clout to reach solutions with the labour and its leaders. The management was not determined either. Several changes in the management took place Labour also did not cooperate with the merger process. The civil aviation ministry was also acting more like a backseat driver pursuing the files of asking for revival proposals. The nation distressingly witnessed this drama. Now the third minister is holding the baby and a Rs,. 30000 crore bail out has been announced. At this stage comes the strike of the fat cats of Air India. What this strike for? For the Air India pilots only should get the chance for training on the Dreamliner.
The fury of the clients abounds for known reasons.The wild cat strike of the Pilots though resorted to under the guise of sickness has evoked protests through out the nation. But when one delves deep into the origin of the crisis, it may be shocking to note that the redressal mechanism of Air lines sat on the long pending issues of the pilots. The unjustified discrimination between the crew of two wings of Airlines was left unaddressed, let alone the non disbursement of salary to the pilots for a few months.It is high time that all should sit together to find a solution. We balk to locate the virus initially , but cry foul from the roof top in moriband state.
Who are the affected?
PUBLIC. Their travel plans are affected.They have to pay a ransom to
Airlines from OTHER countries.
Who are benefitted?
Pilots- NO
Is this regular?
Yes. Stage managed by politician managed AIRINDIA,creates the reasons
for pilots to go on strike only on PEAK season period, so that the
Airlines from GULF can increase their prices & get benefitted.
AIRINDIA pilots are trained to fly long Hours NOT Indian airlines
pilots.Who fiddled around this DREAMLINER training? PILOTS? No.
ALL channels report this as if pilots are to be blamed!!!
Solution:
Handover Airindia to the STAFF.
R.Natarajan
The Air India pilots must accept reality of problems & current world economical trends. They behave like inhuman ? CALL THE INDIAN AIR FORCE PILOTS TO RUN THE FLEET.
I am baffled as to where do these pilots get the courage and conviction
to get the planes crashing they pilot? Isn't it ironical that the in
such a credibility and and cash crisis when a coherent and calibrated
approach was imperative for letting the Airline take off the insiders
themselves have chosen to go on strike because they want to fly some
particular ultra luxurious flights called DREAMLINER 787 and extra
perk. Even as the government plans to disinvest who it will find its
taker as it fumble like flight which has lost links to RADAR. All
steps, however harsh must be taken to ensure agitating pilot not only
return to task on governments terms but also work with efficiency to
ensure speedy recovery of the loss their insanity has caused to the
Already sick airline. I don't think criticizing govt. for bailing out
Air India is warranted because its PUS and must be bailed out unlike
kingfisher which of course is private sector undertaking solely flying
to augment Mr. Malya's coffer.
Please Email the Editor