Employees who submitted EOI should not handle policy issues: Air India

A group of Air India employees who have submitted an expression of interest (EOI) for the carrier should only do day-to-day work, according to an official order

A group of Air India employees who have submitted an expression of interest (EOI) for the carrier should only do day-to-day work and not handle policy or strategic issues that may have a bearing on the airline's disinvestment plans, according to an official order.

The group of 219 Air India employees, led by its Commercial Director Meenakshi Malik, had partnered with a private financial institution and submitted an EOI for the carrier on Monday.

The last date to submit EOI was Monday.

The government will announce the names of the qualified bidders by December 28.

In an internal order issued on Wednesday, Air India stated that the aforementioned employees need to submit a formal intimation of participation in the consortium of management-employees... through their respective departmental heads to the office of General Manager (Personnel), Headquarters, New Delhi by December 21.

"Further, such employees are directed that they should not handle matters related to policy and other strategic issues of the company which may have a bearing on the disinvestment of Air India or any information which may be used directly or indirectly in this regard," the order stated.

However, such employees may continue to handle the routine day-to-day business of the company, it added.

Non-compliance of the above instructions by the employees will be viewed seriously and "necessary action" taken against them, it mentioned.

After its unsuccessful attempt to sell Air India in 2018, the government in January this year restarted the divestment process and invited bids for selling 100 per cent of its equity in the state-owned airline, including Air India's 100 per cent shareholding in Air India Express Ltd and 50 per cent in Air India SATS Airport Services Private Ltd.