Air India set to rejig crew management system after rostering scam

Air India is likely to change the reporting structure of the crew management system as  a fallout of the rostering scam, which resulted in significant losses for the national carrier.  While the airline is planning to shift a key official responsible for rostering in the crew management services (CMS), he’s likely to be “promoted” in the process. Some more heads would also roll, it is learnt. 

Some of the transfer orders have already been issued but not executed yet.   

Among other steps, there’s a move to limit pilots’ pay to 70 flying hours in a month. This is against the prevalent practice of paying some pilots for 70 hours even when they fly only 40 hours. The top airline management, aware of the mounting bill arising from the rostering mismanagement, refused to comment.

Soon after the investigation was launched into the rostering scam, the management initiated action against the systemic misuse. In the case of A320s, the malpractice is more entrenched and getting around the manipulators is proving harder.

“Pilots often call at the last minute and cancel a flight, saying they are ill or giving any other pretext.

It becomes impossible to distinguish fact from fiction,”  said a source. 

The airline is investigating a scam in its central rostering unit called Crew Management Services that prints a monthly roster for pilots nationwide. In addition to many deputy general managers and rostering staff, one contractual assistant controller and another cabin crew member (who was earlier looking after the cabin crew rostering) are under suspicion and investigation.

An official pointed out that while attempts were being made to transfer some of the people responsible for the scam, it’s a challenging task without requisite support from the top management. ‘’Some in the management have good connections and enjoy the support of union leaders who operate like mafia,’’ he said. Each base has a roster manned by three to five staffers and most of the manipulation happens at this level. The misuse is at the “grass root” level and therefore it is even tougher to check. “If it was one concerted and unified effort, we could clamp down on it. But the rot is systemic,” according to a source in the ministry of aviation.