Tata group to name Air India CEO in few days after Ilker Ayci says no

 

The Tata group is likely to announce a new chief executive officer for Air India in the next few days after its first pick, Turkey’s Ilker Ayci, refused the job due to controversy over his relationship with that country’s president. “The name of the new CEO is being finalised. Since it is an important appointment and as a part of good corporate governance the appointment would be discussed with the board of Tata Sons. There is no decision yet but it will happen in a few days,” said a person familiar with the matter. Tata Sons, the holding company of the group, did not comment. The group took over Air India from the government on January 27 and working on its revamp. While steps have been initiated to improve in-flight service and punctuality, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran aims to make Air India the most technologically advanced network carrier. A five-member committee is overseeing the airline now. Tata group nominees too will be appointed on Air India board shortly and the government has already cleared their appointments. These include Chandrasekaran, HUL chairman Sanjiv Mehta and former chairman of General Insurance Corporation Alice Vaidyan.

Coronavirus scare: Air India cuts flights, IndiGo's crew under observation

Current Affairs
Air India has sliced flights to Italy, Japan and Korea while IndiGo has put four of its team individuals under home perception to check the spread of coronavirus.
The common aeronautics controller has given directions to clean airplane and think of security safety measures to forestall spread of the infection. The national bearer's choice to lessen frequencies comes as the administration suspended visas of residents of the three nations. Prior, the administration had given a warning to residents to keep away from unnecessary travel to these nations. It extended wellbeing screening at air terminals to cover travelers showing up from 12 nations.
The limitations have brought about a sharp drop in loads as clients are delaying or dropping their movement. Frequencies to Tokyo have been diminished from five to four every week and those to Milan, Seoul and Rome were sliced to two every week from three or four flights.
Additionally, Air India is wanting to work a littler Airbus A320 type airplane to Saudi Arabia rather than the Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 because of suspension of journeys to Mecca and Medina.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requested that all airplane showing up from Korea, Italy and Japan be sterilized upon appearance in India. Loading up of travelers on return flights will begin simply after wellbeing screening on appearance, it said. The DGCA has additionally asked all the ground staff, lodge team individuals, movement and safety faculty to utilize individual defensive hardware, for example, careful veils, gloves and dispensable shoe covers. "Satisfactory hand purifying offices ought to be made accessible at numerous areas for use by staff and travelers," it said...READ MORE

Govt announces plan to sell entire stake in Air India, sets terms for sale

Current Affairs
The administration said India said on Monday it intends to sell its whole stake in Air India, in an amended push to sell its national bearer after an underlying endeavor to sell a greater part stake in the carrier neglected to attract a solitary offer 2018.
An archive welcoming articulations of enthusiasm for Air India, discharged on Monday, said the legislature would sell a 100 percent stake in the bearer, which works both residential and worldwide courses.
The archive set March 17 as the cutoff time for entries of beginning articulations of intrigue and said any bidder would need to consent to accept generally $3.26 billion in the red, alongside different liabilities.
The administration said that generous possession and viable control of Air India would need to stay vested with an Indian element following the deal, restricting the extent of any remote bidders inspired by the benefit.
In 2018, India had attempted to sell a 76% stake in Air India and offload about $5.1 billion of its obligation, terms that potential purchasers at the time saw as excessively cumbersome.

Air India, known for its Maharaja mascot, has a portion of India's most rewarding universal and residential landing and stopping spaces that are key for carriers....Read More

We share your concerns over divestment: Air India chief to employees

International News
Air India chief Ashwani Lohani said on Thursday that the airline's management shares the concerns of its staff and is taking necessary steps to protect their interests, even as its employees' unions are planning to protest against the government's disinvestment move.
While the government is planning to invite bids for the national carrier next month, its employee unions on Wednesday decided to oppose it, saying there is no clarity regarding salary arrears and pensions.
Lohani in a communication to the employees said, "Air India, your very own national carrier, is easily the most well-known Indian brand across the globe. It is incumbent upon all of us together to ensure that the brand retains its sheen even in the present testing times."
He said it is natural that many employees would be concerned about the future in light of the disinvestment scenario as any change in ownership brings about changes in the work culture and environment.
"Kindly be rest assured that the management fully shares your concerns and is taking necessary steps to protect the genuine interests of all Air Indians," said the airline's chairman and managing director.The government would be conducting roadshows at global financial centres like London and Singapore this month to entice investors for the disinvestment.
Lohani said Air India has been going through an extremely stretched financial situation, primarily due to huge debt servicing liabilities that has been affecting the airline."It (disinvestment) may enable sustainability as well as help in attaining the full inherent potential of the national carrier, thereby also helping the nation in attaining its economic goals," he noted.

"At this juncture, despite considerable constraints, it is essential that Air Indias as always continue to put in their best efforts in their area of responsibility," Lohani said....READ MORE

SpiceJet plane goes past runway, Air India jet veers off taxiway on landing

Company News

A SpiceJet plane Sunday overshot the runway while landing at the Surat Airport, while an Air India Express flight had a narrow escape when the aircraft that arrived from Dubai veered off the taxiway after landing at Mangaluru Internatioal Airport.
None of the passengers and crew members on board were hurt in the incident, an airport official at Surat airport said.The incident at Surat, which occurred around 8.15 pm, was a result of heavy rain and wind, the official said.
"A SpiceJet flight from Bhopal to Surat overshot runway at the airport here due to heavy rainfall and wind. All the 43 passengers and four crew members are safe and they are being handled by the SpiceJet officials," Surat airport director S K Panigrahi said.
The airport operations were suspended for the night following the incident, and three flights were diverted to Ahmedabad airport, he said.
Air India Express veers off taxiway on landing
As many as 183 passengers aboard an Air India Express flight had a narrow escape when the aircraft that arrived from Dubai veered off the taxiway after landing at Mangaluru Internatioal Airport on Sunday.
All passengers and crew members on board are safe, Air India Express said in a statement.The incident happened at around 5.40 pm after the aircraft landed at the airport."AI Express aircraft VT-AYA, operating IX 384, Dubai to Mangalore on June 30, after landing on runway 24 while vacating the runway to the right side has gone off the taxiway into soft ground," the airlines said.

Read our full coverage on SpiceJet

Soon, Air India may conduct random drug test on pilots, other crew members

Company News
In a first for Indian carriers, Air India is likely to start random drug tests on its pilots and cabin crew. Crew members who are found to have a drug abuse problem could be barred from operating flights till they completely give the same up for good. "There is no specific regulation monitoring drug testing… It is recommended that (AI’s) medical department is asked to devise a process for doing random testing for drugs as a safety initiative…” says a note titled “safety recommendations for psychoactive substances” sent by the airline’s ED and chief of flight safety, Harpreet A De Singh, to AI chairman and other top officials.
A senior airline official told TOI, Air India is planning to take this up as a “pioneering” effort to enhance flight safety in India.
According to DGCA's 'General Safety Conditions' circular, the clause titled, "prohibition on consumption of intoxicating and psychoactive substances", states, "no pilot, commander, navigator, engineer, cabin crew or other operating members of the crew shall have taken or used any alcoholic drink, sedative, narcotic or stimulant drug or preparation within twelve hours of the commencement of the flight or take or use any such preparation in the course of the flight, and no such person shall be in a state of intoxication or have detectable blood alcohol whatsoever in his breath, urine or blood alcohol analysis."

 Pre and post-flight breath analyser (BA) tests are conducted by all airlines. A pilot is grounded for three months, three years and forever after failing pre-flight BA test for the first, second and third time, respectively. Those failing the breath analyser tests in post-flight checks get a year added to these groundings.

Current Affairs A journalist and a police constable were arrested on Sunday for sharing a Facebook post which claimed Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb's wife has filed a divorce suit against him, police said. Freelance journalist Saikat Talapatra has been arrested and lodged for the night at the West Agartala Police station, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Subrata Chakraborty said. The police constable was arrested after a case was registered against him for sharing the Facebook post, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Puneet Rastogi said. Details of the police constable is yet to be made available.Both of them would be produced in court on Monday. Talapatra has worked with several TV channels before starting to freelance in 2018. The two were arrested for sharing a Facebook post by one Anupam Paul, in which he claimed that Biplab Deb's wife Niti Deb has filed a divorce suit in Delhi's Tees Hazari court, officials said. A case has already been registered against Paul, who is currently on the run, they said. The chief minister has described the post as a "deep rooted conspiracy" to tarnish his image. "It is a baseless and motivated post which is in bad taste." His wife Niti Deb has also denied that she has filed any divorce suit and said, "Rumours have no mouth, only dirty, filthy and sick minds...." The state BJP had demanded that the administration take strictest action against those involved in it.

Current Affairs

A journalist and a police constable were arrested on Sunday for sharing a Facebook post which claimed Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb's wife has filed a divorce suit against him, police said.
Freelance journalist Saikat Talapatra has been arrested and lodged for the night at the West Agartala Police station, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Subrata Chakraborty said.

The police constable was arrested after a case was registered against him for sharing the Facebook post, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Puneet Rastogi said.

Details of the police constable is yet to be made available.Both of them would be produced in court on Monday.

Talapatra has worked with several TV channels before starting to freelance in 2018.
The two were arrested for sharing a Facebook post by one Anupam Paul, in which he claimed that Biplab Deb's wife Niti Deb has filed a divorce suit in Delhi's Tees Hazari court, officials said.
A case has already been registered against Paul, who is currently on the run, they said.

The chief minister has described the post as a "deep rooted conspiracy" to tarnish his image. "It is a baseless and motivated post which is in bad taste."

His wife Niti Deb has also denied that she has filed any divorce suit and said, "Rumours have no mouth, only dirty, filthy and sick minds...."


 The state BJP had demanded that the administration take strictest action against those involved in it.

Jet lenders plan to sell 75% stake, bidder's net worth should be Rs 1000 cr

Company News

Jet Airways India Ltd.’s lenders invited initial bids to buy as much as 75 percent of the debt-laden carrier, starting a process that will determine the future of India’s oldest surviving private airline.
Potential buyers must submit their interest by April 10, State Bank of India Ltd., the lead creditor, said in a document Monday. A strategic bidder should have a net worth of at least Rs 1,000 crore ($144 million) in the preceding financial year, or at least three years of experience in the airline business.

The airline is credited with successfully breaking the monopoly of state-run Air India Ltd. and was once India’s second-biggest carrier, but its fleet has dwindled to 26 planes from 124 as recently as January. Accumulated losses in nine of the past 11 years have caused Jet Airways to delay payments to banks, lessors and employees, while its founder Naresh Goyal was forced to cede control of the carrier.

Jet Airways, part-owned by Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways PJSC, needs Rs 8500 crore to get back on its feet after a fare war by budget airlines wiped out profits and it racked up debt of more than $1 billion.

The fate of Jet Airways is crucial to the legacy of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he faces an election that begins April 11 after holding power for the last five years. While he remains the favorite in the polls, his party has faced setbacks of late and he has been criticized for not living up to a key election promise to create 10 million new jobs a year. A collapse of Jet Airways, with 23,000 employees, could further dent his credentials.

Consortiums submitting bids should have no more than three members, with each holding a share of no less than 15 percent, according to Monday’s document.

 After qualified bidders are selected, they will be provided access to the company’s data and the bid document...Read More

All women crew to fly 12 international, 40 domestic Air India flights today

Companies News

National carrier Air India will be flying 12 international flights as well as 40-plus domestic flights with an all-women crew on Friday, Women's Day.

Air India will be deploying its B787 Dreamliners and B777s aircraft to operate to 12 international medium and long-haul flights solely operated exclusively by women pilots and attended by women cabin crew.

The women led cockpit and cabin crew will be operating both wide and narrow-body aircraft in its fleet to all corners of the world.

"It is a moment of absolute pride and honour for Air India that our women employees are leaving their mark in the aviation sector on a global scale. I would like to congratulate our women crew for operating so many flights on various international and domestic routes fuelled by their indomitable Nari Shakti," said Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani.

The international sectors that will have the all-women crew on its flights on March 8 are Delhi-Sydney, Mumbai-London, Delhi-Rome, Delhi-London, Mumbai-Delhi-Shanghai, Delhi-Paris, Mumbai-Newark, Mumbai-New York, Delhi-New York, Delhi-Washington, Delhi-Chicago and Delhi-San Francisco.

Women pilots and cabin crew will be operating Airbus family aircraft as well as Dreamliners to over 40 domestic destinations and back to commemorate the occasion.


 For most of these flights, the technical services will be provided by woman aircraft engineers, technicians and flight dispatchers while there will be woman duty managers, counter staff, helpers and doctors to provide their services.

Is merging Air India and Jet Airways the way to save the sinking airlines?

Companies News:

To have one airline limping forward on the brink of bankruptcy may be regarded as a misfortune. To have two looks like carelessness.

That’s the fundamental problem for India’s aviation industry, home to the critically ill Jet Airways India Ltd. and its state-owned rival Air India Ltd., which more or less died in 2012 but has been kept on life support thanks to ongoing infusions of taxpayer cash.

Facing collapse, Jet has been trying to restructure its debt and seeking bailout money from founder Naresh Goyal and leading shareholder Etihad Airways PJSC. Should those attempts fail, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to explain the loss of 23,000 jobs ahead of May elections.


 Air India, known locally as the Maharajah, has been in similarly dire straits. An attempted privatization last year attracted zero expressions of interest. The government is considering a fresh turnaround plan, the Indian Express reported in September...Read More