KOCHI: The efficacy of the proposed shifting ofAir India Express (AIE) headquarters here will largely depend on the level of powers that
will be devolved, and the expats and travel agents are still skeptical about
the seriousness of the move.
According to aviation experts, the shifting of headquarters will have a salutary effect if the officers at the level of deputy chief controllers to be posted here are vested with sufficient discretionary powers. For instance, the deputy chief officer (operations) can find out the availability of crew and location using the Airport Resources Management System (ARMS) software and work out a crew scheduling for the next month, they said.
He will be able to enforce mid-course correction on crew deployment in accordance with the changes in crew availability and requirement. However, the concurrence of the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC) located in Delhi will be required for this. Similarly, the deputy chief officer in charge of flight scheduling can customize the scheduling after assessing the ground realities, and enforce changes in between.
The posting of a deputy chief officer in charge of finance will expedite the productivity-linked bonus or commission to the travel agents, which in turn will incentivize them to provide more business to the budget airline, they said.
The travel agents and NRKs (NRK) suspect that the shifting of AIE headquarters will be enforced only at a notional level. "Going by the past experiences, it is difficult to believe that the Mumbai-based staff and crew will be ready to shift to Kochi. The airline management may shift some people for certain periods to avoid criticisms, but they would be sent back after sometime. The only result then could be some additional payment of out-station allowances to those employees,'' said Biji Eapen, president of the IATA Agents' Association of India
Responding to complaints that shifting of AIE headquarters will not be effective if IOCC continues to be located in Delhi, the minister of state for civil aviation K C Venugopal said this would happen eventually.
Abdul Khader, who has been in the UAE for the last 30 years and runs the Al Sahal Group of companies there, said the shifting of AIE headquarters should not be a ploy to slow down the launch of the state's own airline, Air Kerala.
"Let this shifting become a reality, then we can talk about it These kinds of talks and declarations had been happening on several occasions in the past,'' said K B Murali, president of the Abu Dhabi-based Kerala Social Centre.
According to aviation experts, the shifting of headquarters will have a salutary effect if the officers at the level of deputy chief controllers to be posted here are vested with sufficient discretionary powers. For instance, the deputy chief officer (operations) can find out the availability of crew and location using the Airport Resources Management System (ARMS) software and work out a crew scheduling for the next month, they said.
He will be able to enforce mid-course correction on crew deployment in accordance with the changes in crew availability and requirement. However, the concurrence of the Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC) located in Delhi will be required for this. Similarly, the deputy chief officer in charge of flight scheduling can customize the scheduling after assessing the ground realities, and enforce changes in between.
The posting of a deputy chief officer in charge of finance will expedite the productivity-linked bonus or commission to the travel agents, which in turn will incentivize them to provide more business to the budget airline, they said.
The travel agents and NRKs (NRK) suspect that the shifting of AIE headquarters will be enforced only at a notional level. "Going by the past experiences, it is difficult to believe that the Mumbai-based staff and crew will be ready to shift to Kochi. The airline management may shift some people for certain periods to avoid criticisms, but they would be sent back after sometime. The only result then could be some additional payment of out-station allowances to those employees,'' said Biji Eapen, president of the IATA Agents' Association of India
Responding to complaints that shifting of AIE headquarters will not be effective if IOCC continues to be located in Delhi, the minister of state for civil aviation K C Venugopal said this would happen eventually.
Abdul Khader, who has been in the UAE for the last 30 years and runs the Al Sahal Group of companies there, said the shifting of AIE headquarters should not be a ploy to slow down the launch of the state's own airline, Air Kerala.
"Let this shifting become a reality, then we can talk about it These kinds of talks and declarations had been happening on several occasions in the past,'' said K B Murali, president of the Abu Dhabi-based Kerala Social Centre.
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