I think rsoman has successfully killed a very important and pressing issue...!! Fully agree with Left Wing. ALL of you (i think),are pilots first and THEN managers!! Please remember that. NEVER EVER forget that please.So lets talk like pilots.AI is quite surely the Holy Grail in India....or at least it was till some time ago!!(this also includes the Jetairways 340 drivers,by the way,cause ther just ain't any non ex pats flying those birds yet).So why should a chance at joining AI be denied to a senior enuff capt,especially if it has been promised to him to begin with.Somebody is being hosed here and it definitely ain't the AI/AIX managment....!!!