Sources say Civil Aviation Ministry has recommended the removal of the ailing airline's chairman-cum-managing director Arvind Jadhav
Sources say Civil Aviation Ministry has recommended the removal of the ailing airline's chairman-cum-managing director Arvind Jadhav
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IF sources in the Union Civil Aviation Ministry are to be believed, Air India's Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) Arvind Jadhav could be shown the door soon.
Jadhav's possible ouster will bring happy tidings for the unions
of Air India, who have complained about his inefficient leadership
Jadhav, who was appointed as the debt-ridden airline's CMD in 2009, has had to face the wrath of the Opposition after an RTI reply showed that he was selected for the top job despite having no 'domain experience' a vital criterion for appointment.
Jadhav has also been under fire for mishandling the pilots' strike, which led to a loss of several crores.
Highly-placed sources told MiD DAY that while no concrete decision has been taken for Jadhav's removal yet, the matter has been recommended to the Cabinet Committee on Appointments.
Unions happy
Jadhav's possible ouster will bring happy tidings for the existing unions of Air India, who have repeatedly raised the issue of Jadhav's inefficiency and blamed his leadership for the airline's mounting losses.
After Jadhav took charge in 2009, the relationship between the airline's employees and management is said to have hit an all-time low with employees grumbling about not receiving their salaries on time.
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Senior aviation bureaucrats, too, have complained about Jadhav's lack of coordination with them.
Insiders told MiD DAY that the final blow to Jadhav came when Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi, too, expressed his displeasure with his management of the national carrier.
Jadhav remained unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts.
Number game
While the total loss incurred by the national carrier has crossed the Rs 40,000-crore mark, the airline has incurred a cumulative loss of over Rs 13,300 crore since its merger with Indian Airlines in 2007.
Air India owes Rs 2,000 crore to oil companies and Rs 1,500 crore to airports. The airline currently employees 42,000 people, including 4,400 cabin crew and nearly 2,000 pilots.
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