The GOI (Gov Of India) & AI Mgt have always struggled to maintain any semblance of control or accountability amongst AI employees. That is a matter of record and personal experience of many who’ve flown the airline.
But now, with AI (Air India) making huge losses with every flight it operates, Pranab Babu’s deficit won’t allow further bailing out of AI this fiscal. That’ll mean AI will again default on salaries etc in due course. Imagine what heat the GOI will then face!
The merger of IA & AI was not only ill-conceived but compounded the problem by making the unions even stronger – GOI used to use AI Vs IA when strikes were called, by off loading pax on the other. Or borrowing pilots, etc. Till the two unions actually joined hands, thanks to the merger!
I dont think anyone who flies regularly and knows how pathetic IA/AI service is, will contest GOI’s point that accountability and minimum performance level enforcement has been long overdue.
Thus the Engineer who leaked the info about a King Fisher engineer certifying the ill fated Mangalore AI flight gave GOI the excuse to crack down hard, when it was looking for ways to cut losses!
True, a gag order ought never to be supported by anyone who stands for free speech. And I do stand for free speech; have no doubt about that.
But that is just the excuse, not the real cause of the clamp down.
The GOI’s swift retraction to gov. employees to travel only by AI is an indication that Pranab Babu is backing Praful Patel for his own fiscal reasons. That means the strong man of UPA2 has finally to back a sensible action to bring some accountability in AI.
Will this alone be enough? NO!
AI needs a full scale revamp, not some cosmetic surgery – it’s got to have a multiple fracture kind of surgery, including a heart transplant!
But this may be a good first move. Pity it was a gag order that brought about this.
The inconvenience to passengers is really the most painful price to pay. The rest is painless since the amputation was long overdue. Hopefully, the operation will be successful and the patient healthy again. Otherwise, it’ll just be another futile exercise.
Praful Patel is a good administrator insofar as he has a progressive outlook. Will he deliver now? And will PM/MMS get another feather in his cap of turning around AI?
Time will tell. Ouch!