All your fault, retd IA staff tell aviation ministry and minister
BS Reporter / New Delhi Jul 14, 2009, 00:18 IST
Retired employees of the erstwhile Indian Airlines, now part of Air India, have blamed the Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and top officials of the merged airline for the mess.
Grouped in the All-India Airlines Retired Personnel Association (AIARPA), they have sent a letter detailing their charges to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Among the reasons thye gave for the present crisis were ‘disproportionate’ access to/from India to foreign airlines, allowing ‘favoured’ private Indian carriers international routes, ‘forcing’ the airline to lease Boeing 777, even though new ones were delivered, creation of Air India Express, ‘destroying’ the Indian Airlines brand to allow Jet Airways to dominate the domestic market and privatisation of profitable Airports Authority of India airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
The letter also questions the merger of AI and Indian Airlines and its timing. Plus favouritism in appointments and misuse of airline resources.
Can somebody stand up and take responsibility for the mess? Somebody must tell these past as well as present employees that they are able to keep their job because people like us because taxes paid by us are keeping them afloat. Otherwise, all of them would have gone home long time back. They are worth sending home only. They do not want to work hard, they can not even smile, they do not want to maintain discipline and still want all the benefits. Thnik of days prior to private airlines. They used to get everything they wanted because we had no choice. All these past employees should be asked to apologise and instead of spending time to find a person to blame, please help to improve the organisation. The government will be better without all of you. The only problem is that these politicians will not be able to get free tickets.
Posted by: Rajesh
July 16 , 2009, 10:45 IST
To Mr. skindia99, Its easy to talk by sitting on other side. Its all the policies of the Govt. who had ruined the National Pride. Its only the National Carrier which always comes in the front during the crisis time. Its only the National Carrier who has and shoulders all the Social Respnsibility. Its only the National Carrier who provides discount all deserved section of society like Cancer patient, army personnel, students, senior citizens etc. Its only the National Carrier who operates even on Non Profitable Sectors such as North East etc just to facilitate Citizens of India. Do Private Airline Operators do so? The employees working in the Company are also Citizens of India and tax payers and if u are aware the National Carrier has given billion-billion of rupees to the Govt. as exchequer. So please think twice before you comment.
So the retired employees - belonging to the world of protectionism and monopoly / oligopoly institutions, wish to go back to those days. No effort was made by Indian Airlines to expand the Indian Air travel market in any way. The cure for Air India is to be an independent carrier away from Ministry, Bureaucracy & Employees' Unions pressure. It must have a modern plane fleet and must encourage Employee & Assets Productivity incentives. If NOT, this Airline is doomed to sink! You can throw as many lifelines as possible! They will not help.
Yes, people went to other airlines because of better fares and better service. Does these retired people think that people have no right to better service and have to ONLY use shoddy AI? do they put lousy AI above benefit to people. Common, just ground AI and no one is crying.
These retired blokes still think private airlines and private airports should never have been permitted! They're hopelessly out of sync with the times and BS too seems to be slowly drifting away into the past, by carrying such non sensical views!
Posted by: Anirban
July 14 , 2009, 22:27 IST
Yes they are hopeless. They can't forget those days Of religious commitment like "HAJ" they can't think national carrier is sitting idle or thinking about money like private carriers when Indians of gulf countries Gulf countries had to come home during gulf war, relief material tobe carried when Tsunami comes, Earthquack in J & K, Latur,immediate carring of human remains of Indian soilders from Kargil,north east,relief for strom victim of costal orrisa. They are fool like our national leaders who considerd IA & AI as second line of defence.They will be wise when they will demand a private Army,Nevy and Air Force for INDIA our nation Under the leadership of Vijay Mallia or Naresh Goel. What is the total Capital provided by Govt. till date after nationalisation? and what is total contribution by national carrier to our exchaqure and what is the amount of asset our national carrier prosses? Oh ! what diversity our motherland have.
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