AI looks for new COO again

NEW DELHI: Yet again, financially beleaguered state-run carrier Air India is looking for a new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Advertisements for the posts have already been published in a section of the media and the airline’s website as well. Gustav Baldauf, who had earlier worked for Austrian Airlines and Jet Airways, was the first COO that the airline had appointed at a whopping salary of over `3 crore per annum. However, he was unceremoniously removed for telling the government to not interfere with the matters of the carrier.

Baldauf’s package and his foreign origin had raised several eyebrows with people questioning why the airline could not find an Indian professional for the post. Possibly, keeping in mind the furore that followed Baldauf’s appointment, the government has severely curtailed the pay packet, bringing it down to `40-60 lakh per annum. “The candidate will get another 40% (including perks) as performance-linked-pay based on key performance indicators (KPI) which will be determined by management/board,” an Air India official said. The post is currently being held by KM Unni on an additional charge along with the airline’s SBU- head (MRO- airframe). “The COO would be part of the top management team and would be responsible for operations of Air India including flight safety, ground operations and flight training and will also be overall in-charge of quality management system (QMS) & integrated operations control cell (IOCC),” said an Air India official.

The airline has also said that the commercial pilot recruited in this post will have to have qualifications on at least one of the fleet with Air India.

“A minimum 10.000 hours of flying experience out of which at least 5,000 hours as a commander on any type of aircraft in the current fleet of the Airline will be required,” the official said. Chandrakumar, who had been appointed as the acting COO of the AI Express, has already sought a VRS though his term comes to an end next year. The post was then offered to Sunil Kishen who is presently the ED of the southern region. However, his confirmation is yet to be heard of. Other candidates who had been appointed around the same time as Baldauf at hefty packages had also exited around February last year.

AI Express COO Pawan Arora’s and Sukumar, chief of training had both quit after being hired for a package of about `1.5 crore. The airline also hired Nikhil Jain recently as Director-Personnel on deputation from the Indian Railways.

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