This is a summer of discontent for air travellers. And for all those who reposed faith in the revival of Air India, following the financial restructuring plan getting under way.
A few days ago, the national carrier Air India was given a generous gift in the form of a Rs 30,000-crore bailout package by the Government. The idea was to help it survive and gain a firm footing in the extremely competitive aviation industry.
Despite all the misgivings about the wisdom of pouring more money into an airline that had only been guzzling money, the bailout was approved. The interests of its employees were considered paramount. One can, therefore, be forgiven for expecting employees to be grateful to the country, and to passengers who keep trust with it. It is, therefore, galling to see a section of the employees owing allegiance to the Indian Pilots Guild reporting ‘sick' (euphemism for going on strike).
AWFUL TIMING
What is worse, the ongoing strike by the Air India pilots comes during the peak travel season. The pilots' strike has already led to a Rs 150-crore loss for Air India. The spurt of flight cancellations has put travel plans of scores of people in disarray. Amidst such uncertainties, travellers are prepared to pay a higher premium to ensure that their flight at least takes off. The strike comes at a time when most of the long-haul Air India flights run to full capacity.
The AI pilots' strike has only helped other carriers increase their seat occupancy. According to travel agents, seats are not available because of high demand and fares have risen by 20 per cent. The current situation can only further fuel anger and disappointment among the holiday-makers.
INTERNAL TUSSLE
And, there is all this fuss over training erstwhile pilots of Indian Airlines on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet. The Air India pilots representing the Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) are demanding that training on these jet planes be restricted to pilots belonging to the erstwhile Air India. A silly rivalry between two wings of the merged airline has derailed operations of the ‘national carrier'. There is no love lost between the staff of Indian (Airlines) and Air India despite a merger, with even the Aviation Minister conceding that it was perhaps a failure.
The Supreme Court has said that an equal number of pilots from Air India and Indian Airlines will receive training to fly the Dreamliner. But IPG maintains that because the aircraft were ordered before the merger, only pilots of the erstwhile Air India should receive the training. Air India was merged with state-run Indian Airlines in 2007. Since then, the imbroglio between the two pilots' associations IPG and ICPA (Indian Commercial Pilots' Association — a representative body for the pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines) within the company — has continued. Critical human resource issues haven't been addressed.
That is now being sorted out through the Dharmadhikari Committee report, which was submitted in late January.
MARKET SHARE
As the stalemate between Air India and agitating pilots continues, the greatest casualty will be brand “Air India”. The crisis will only further shrink its share in the domestic aviation market. Once dominant with a market share of over 60 per cent, Air India market share is now down to just about 17 per cent. The ailing airline company has accumulated losses of over Rs 20,000 crore in the last four years. It has outstanding loans and dues worth Rs 67,520 crore.
Pilots should realise their accountability towards passengers. The government too needs to react quickly. Any delay in sorting out this mess will only earn the wrath of the nation. For an airline that is on ventilator, such insensitivity can be fatal to its existence.