Take Delhi posting if want to fly wide-body: AI to cabin crew

Seeking to reduce cost amid cash crunch and mounting losses, government-run Air India has asked its qualified cabin crew from other bases to relocate either permanently or temporarily to New Delhi if they want to fly wide-body planes.

Air India has its bases across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, among other cities.

"In order to reduce costs, increase revenue and optimise resources, a series of steps are being taken by the management to curtail expenditure. All possible measures are being taken to improve financial health of the company.

"Cabin crew of other bases qualified on B777/787 aircraft may request for permanent/temporary voluntary transfer to Delhi if they wish to operate flights originating from Delhi to reduce cost," Air India general manager for in-flight services said in a circular addressed to all cabin crew Monday.

Significantly, most of Air India's B777/787 flights, particularly on long and ultra-long haul routes, are operated from Delhi-base.

However, Air India will not provide the crew any accommodation or transfer benefit, it said while seeking applications from interested crew by October 15.

Air India spokesperson was not available for comments.

The cabin crew sources, however, termed the move as "discriminatory" and akin to being "penny wise pond foolish".

"It is discriminatory and akin to being penny wise pond foolish. Moreover, the fresh circular is also to ensure that cabin crew from all other bases are not permitted to come to Delhi to do flights," said a source.

Alleging that while the pilots operating these planes, whose entitlements are much higher during the layover period, will continue to come to Delhi from other bases, the source said, "only two cabin crew used to come to Delhi from various regions for each flight of 787."
Air India is trying to save "pennies" on cabin crew by stopping their flights from Delhi base, the source said adding, "but they don't mind paying pilots guaranteed flying allowances of 70 hours per month."