Pilots stay in 5-star hotels at AI's expense

MUMBAI: AI may have loaded up losses worth Rs 14,000 crore in the last four fiscals, it's debt burden may be close to Rs 40,000 crore and it may be seeking government funds for rescue, but that does not stop the airline from wasting resources as a recent trend shows.

Going against norms chalked out for cost-cutting , pilots based in Delhi have been appointed for managerial jobs in Mumbai. They stay in five-star hotels, which even the directors of the airline are not privileged to and the fat bills are left to the airline to foot.

`For the last three months from July 10 onwards , two Delhi based executive pilots have been staying at Hotel Grand Hyatt in Mumbai on the pretext of office work,'' said an airline official . Considering an average of about 20-day stay per month (other days they would be operating flights) and the rebate offered to the airline on room tariff, the monthly bill, per official, works out to Rs 1.4 lakh.

`At a time when salaries are payed after much delay, it is questionable why the airline spends Rs 3 lakh per month to accommodate Capt Rohit Bhasin, additional GM (crew scheduling) and Capt A Singh (additional general manager, training) in Mumbai. There are several qualified pilots based in Mumbai who can do the jobs that the airline has got these Delhi-based pilots to do,'' said the source.

Last month during Vigilance Awareness Week, the issue was taken up by an airline official with the airline's chief vigilance officer. `It i s b eyond comprehension as to how when there is an acute shortage of pilots in Delhi are these two pilots being sent to Mumbai at company expenses to do a job that Mumbai-based pilots can do,'' says the letter sent to the vigilance head.

`The above executives are also encouraging their junior pilots from Delhi to follow their foot steps and utilize hotel facilities and avail allowances for carrying out routine functions that can be done by any junior executive from Mumbai, the letter alleged. The airline spokesperson was not available for comments.
The letter adds that both the pilots were appointed by Capt AS Soman, Air India's executive director (operations ) a few months ago.