Poor crew management pushes debt-laden Air India further into losses

Air India pilots and crew often play musical chairs, leading to a substantial revenue loss for the airline in an inefficiently managed set-up

In yet another example of how not to run an airline, on an everyday basis 15-20 commanders and first officers and almost 50 crew members of national carrier Air India fly from their bases to operate flights from other bases, resulting in a loss of revenue seats, expenditure on hotels, and payment for staff that is not for actual flying.

Senior officials and sources in Air India say that this practice has multiplied. There are several reasons why this has been happening. Many Air India pilots who were hired in Mumbai have to often come to Delhi to operate flights