Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on
Wednesday announced expansion plans for Air India, hoping to chart out a
profit-making course for the airline.
Aiming to not only restore the entire
original Air India network but extend it further, Singh said, “Air India now
plans to use narrow-bodied aircraft optimally and connect Hong Kong with A-319
aircraft from the first week of July 2012. This flight will extend its
operations to Seoul and Osaka from August thus ensuring regular services to
Hong Kong, Seoul and Osaka,” Singh said.
On pilots’ strike Singh said, “We have
terminated 100 pilots and many others have contempt action against them.”
“The pilots on strike have condemned the
Dharmadikari report...But, the D report is a part of the turnaround,” he said.
For its long haul flights to the US
destinations, Singh said that the airline had about 90 pilots under training of
which 60 will be ready to fly within five months. The rest of the requirement
is going to be filled through hiring from the market including expats.
AI also plans to expand its network by
undertaking a new flight between Delhi-Kuala Lumpur from August 2012. The 787s
will be first deployed domestically and later be flown on the Mumbai-London
route from August. Singh said that he has enough trained pilots to operate 787.
“We are also bringing a new and objective
examination system for in-service pilots in place of the existing system in
which there will also be a provision of appeal,” he said.
On ATF and service tax in aviation, Ajit
Singh acknowledged the high ATF prices and the unduly service tax that was
being charged in India.
On service tax on air tickets, he said,
“Service tax during the financial year 2012-13 on air passengers has been
increased 4 times and now it is levied upon 40% of gross ticket value. A 10%
rise in the price reduces the demand for domestic air traffic travel by about
12%,” Singh noted.
Meanwhile, a large section of the Air India
pilots went on a silent protest in Mumbai and Delhi refusing to change their
stance.
“There are many concerns and gaps in the
current operations and human resources practices. Any short-term acceptance
will leave these issues simmering and unresolved with long-term ramifications
Our appeal to the powers-that-be to discuss our genuine concerns,” Captain E A
Kapadia, General Secretary of the AI pilots’ union said.
The union members also added that they had
continued work even in the most trying times, including when salaries were not
paid for 6 months. “We have always been supportive of the management and
understanding of the airline’s problems. In fact in the last ten years the IPG
has had a protest march only once and we have been compelled to raise a protest
this time only due to the extreme situation we face,” Kapadia added.
http://newindianexpress.com/business/news/article537825.ece
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