Air India's turn around plan
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NEW DELHI: Air India on Friday announced launching of its low-cost domestic operations from September.
Addressing his first formal press conference here since he took over the reins of the carrier more than two months ago, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav said the no frill operations would be launched by Air India Express, the low-cost entity of the national carrier which already flies to destinations in the Gulf region.
“Out of 100 schedules, we have identified 27 schedules on which low cost flights can be operated. Ultimately, nearly 70 per cent of our total domestic flights will be of low-cost nature as we go along restructuring the airline,” he added.
Addressing his first formal press conference here since he took over the reins of the carrier more than two months ago, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav said the no frill operations would be launched by Air India Express, the low-cost entity of the national carrier which already flies to destinations in the Gulf region.
“Out of 100 schedules, we have identified 27 schedules on which low cost flights can be operated. Ultimately, nearly 70 per cent of our total domestic flights will be of low-cost nature as we go along restructuring the airline,” he added.
The reason Low Cost Model was mentioned in that page was because there is primary change in management strategy..
Hope it helps..
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Its funny the way these wise and highly intelligent chintoos talk of Air India
as a non-entity in this forum. if it didnt get them medically down, they would readily give their right arm to be in this kachra airline !
as a non-entity in this forum. if it didnt get them medically down, they would readily give their right arm to be in this kachra airline !
Air India is one of last remaining companies on this planet that treats
its pilots with highest respect..
Name any airline and i ll tell u how they ll treat you..
Infact in some airlines cabin crew are better treated then deck crew..
quit calling AI names unless u r from across the border..
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IndAir967... Are you kidding! Pilots with "respect"??! Is that why you are travelling in economy class while ON DUTY, why your salary hasn't been paid, why your allownces haven't been paid, your roster is done as per the highest bidder (bribery) to the schedling guys, training taking up to 18 months, contracts of yours and the expats spat at and laughed at.....I could go on but see other posts in the Will AI Strike thread.....
I left AI some time ago now due the incessant mismangent and corruption. If I failed a pilot (Oh, I don't know, because he crashed the sim in nil wind conditions, no malfunctions, basic ILS approach) then I was scrutinised and placed on report due that pilot being friends with some one in "management". Route check to DXB the next day and he's back on line as a Cmdr.
From the bamboo security gates, to the stench of urine in the ops & tng building, the dead pigeons in the roof, the windows and halls that haven't been cleaned in decades, the forms filled out in triplicate with carbon paper in between, forms lost, misplaced, etc, ex Wng Cmdrs and Grp Capts (sorry, NAVIGATORS!) using AI as a retirement village. Productive? No way. Will it change? Never. Too many greedy fingers in the pot too happy to blame anyone and everyone else.
AI is nothing but a cesspit of mismangent and corruption. If that offends you then I am sorry, but take those damn blinkers off. If you have EVER bribed to get a roster then you are just as guilty and part of the problem.
I resigned and ran because my professional integrity could not tolerate it. Those at AI since they were 19 or so years of age accept it as the norm because they know no better. They also see smoking in the cockpit and the cockpit door unlocked as the norm as well.
What does that tell you?
ICAO (and the FAA) does not look to make AI an ICAO Category II carrier for nothing. It was well and truly earnt.
I hope all at AI can see things through and see world MINIMUM standards installed. When I left and from correspondence with those still there, it hasn't and doesn't want to because too many heads firmly in the sand and too many hands dipping into the piles of money that seem to have been running out.
When low standards are what you're used to and defend through ignorance, then the bar isn't very high.
I left AI some time ago now due the incessant mismangent and corruption. If I failed a pilot (Oh, I don't know, because he crashed the sim in nil wind conditions, no malfunctions, basic ILS approach) then I was scrutinised and placed on report due that pilot being friends with some one in "management". Route check to DXB the next day and he's back on line as a Cmdr.
From the bamboo security gates, to the stench of urine in the ops & tng building, the dead pigeons in the roof, the windows and halls that haven't been cleaned in decades, the forms filled out in triplicate with carbon paper in between, forms lost, misplaced, etc, ex Wng Cmdrs and Grp Capts (sorry, NAVIGATORS!) using AI as a retirement village. Productive? No way. Will it change? Never. Too many greedy fingers in the pot too happy to blame anyone and everyone else.
AI is nothing but a cesspit of mismangent and corruption. If that offends you then I am sorry, but take those damn blinkers off. If you have EVER bribed to get a roster then you are just as guilty and part of the problem.
I resigned and ran because my professional integrity could not tolerate it. Those at AI since they were 19 or so years of age accept it as the norm because they know no better. They also see smoking in the cockpit and the cockpit door unlocked as the norm as well.
What does that tell you?
ICAO (and the FAA) does not look to make AI an ICAO Category II carrier for nothing. It was well and truly earnt.
I hope all at AI can see things through and see world MINIMUM standards installed. When I left and from correspondence with those still there, it hasn't and doesn't want to because too many heads firmly in the sand and too many hands dipping into the piles of money that seem to have been running out.
When low standards are what you're used to and defend through ignorance, then the bar isn't very high.
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IndAir967... Are you kidding! Pilots with "respect"??! Is that why you are travelling in economy class while ON DUTY, why your salary hasn't been paid, why your allownces haven't been paid, your roster is done as per the highest bidder (bribery) to the schedling guys, training taking up to 18 months, contracts of yours and the expats spat at and laughed at.....I could go on but see other posts in the Will AI Strike thread.....
I left AI some time ago now due the incessant mismangent and corruption. If I failed a pilot (Oh, I don't know, because he crashed the sim in nil wind conditions, no malfunctions, basic ILS approach) then I was scrutinised and placed on report due that pilot being friends with some one in "management". Route check to DXB the next day and he's back on line as a Cmdr.
From the bamboo security gates, to the stench of urine in the ops & tng building, the dead pigeons in the roof, the windows and halls that haven't been cleaned in decades, the forms filled out in triplicate with carbon paper in between, forms lost, misplaced, etc, ex Wng Cmdrs and Grp Capts (sorry, NAVIGATORS!) using AI as a retirement village. Productive? No way. Will it change? Never. Too many greedy fingers in the pot too happy to blame anyone and everyone else.
AI is nothing but a cesspit of mismangent and corruption. If that offends you then I am sorry, but take those damn blinkers off. If you have EVER bribed to get a roster then you are just as guilty and part of the problem.
I resigned and ran because my professional integrity could not tolerate it. Those at AI since they were 19 or so years of age accept it as the norm because they know no better. They also see smoking in the cockpit and the cockpit door unlocked as the norm as well.
What does that tell you?
ICAO (and the FAA) does not look to make AI an ICAO Category II carrier for nothing. It was well and truly earnt.
I hope all at AI can see things through and see world MINIMUM standards installed. When I left and from correspondence with those still there, it hasn't and doesn't want to because too many heads firmly in the sand and too many hands dipping into the piles of money that seem to have been running out.
When low standards are what you're used to and defend through ignorance, then the bar isn't very high.
I left AI some time ago now due the incessant mismangent and corruption. If I failed a pilot (Oh, I don't know, because he crashed the sim in nil wind conditions, no malfunctions, basic ILS approach) then I was scrutinised and placed on report due that pilot being friends with some one in "management". Route check to DXB the next day and he's back on line as a Cmdr.
From the bamboo security gates, to the stench of urine in the ops & tng building, the dead pigeons in the roof, the windows and halls that haven't been cleaned in decades, the forms filled out in triplicate with carbon paper in between, forms lost, misplaced, etc, ex Wng Cmdrs and Grp Capts (sorry, NAVIGATORS!) using AI as a retirement village. Productive? No way. Will it change? Never. Too many greedy fingers in the pot too happy to blame anyone and everyone else.
AI is nothing but a cesspit of mismangent and corruption. If that offends you then I am sorry, but take those damn blinkers off. If you have EVER bribed to get a roster then you are just as guilty and part of the problem.
I resigned and ran because my professional integrity could not tolerate it. Those at AI since they were 19 or so years of age accept it as the norm because they know no better. They also see smoking in the cockpit and the cockpit door unlocked as the norm as well.
What does that tell you?
ICAO (and the FAA) does not look to make AI an ICAO Category II carrier for nothing. It was well and truly earnt.
I hope all at AI can see things through and see world MINIMUM standards installed. When I left and from correspondence with those still there, it hasn't and doesn't want to because too many heads firmly in the sand and too many hands dipping into the piles of money that seem to have been running out.
When low standards are what you're used to and defend through ignorance, then the bar isn't very high.
talking about the points that u ve mentioned .. it is not just a characteristic quality of air india..but the idiotic attitude of the folks in the government.. I know and am aware of corruption practices inside..Also what I can say is the biggest blunder made was to merge IC and AI.. I can confidently say IC was a much better place to stick around than AI or IX ..
As far as respect goes you were mentioning about Flt Ops guys and other senior folks in the management not being very friendly to you .. well was it the same situation for an indian guy holding the same position as u were..
I guess you must have been an TRE ? But my point is did u atleast get respect from souls who are below u.. ? Say CC or for that matter even a porter .. ? Let me tell u in one of the private airlines in india.. If the skipper does not come out of the deck to say Buh Bye to pax on arrival .. he will be reported to the Ops by the purser.. now how interesting is that.. and there is this other airline which thinks the CC are the ones who actually fly their planes and the pilots are just a secondary folks in the aircraft.. I am sure you know what airlines I am talking about..
Now cosidering all that nonsense.. I feel IC is a much better place to be..
I have lived and flown for some time on the other side of the planet and I can definitely tell you what kind of respect the pilots get from the other airline employees say in United States where a pilot is under complete pressure from every one else..
I once had to sit next to an TRI (american guy who thinks airbus is not meant to fly
) on an southwest plane from LAS to SFO.. When I heard his problems.. i can tell u .. I felt really better for being on this side of the planet..Lets say u were in sequence for departure at JFK in the morning.. after about 45 mins of waiting when u are no.2 for departure .. u get a passenger who says she is bored and wants to get off the plane .. Now in this situation will u dare to take off in USA ? Upon landing am sure u ll have to hire a lawyer .. But had it been AI and same situation in BOM .. you are the boss so u re good to go.. Thats precisely my point..
Unfortunately in South Asia its all about whom u know and what u can do.. I am not justifying but when all of my colleagues are busy buying the whisky bottle at dubai for the crew scheduler I really doubt me not buying would really make an change .. I would just end up doing the late night flights and flying on holidays and festivals..
I know the way u guys do things in western countries and hence it really makes it unacceptable for u to do things the indian way ..
The point is no body is interested in changing things..
for example regarding the Y class on duty travel ..
my question is .. is this being followed ? The rule is there..
but hey its Air India.. I will sit in J class .. and no body questions..
and this can happen only in air india..
As an pilot we are satisfying some one or the other.. Its only a question of who..
For an Indian Guy it would be much better to stick on to NACIL than other airlines in india..
Air India being managed by government folks will be a very tough place for expats and I am not going to differ with you in that aspect..
The expats can only survive in private carriers where they are better treated ..
Skipper, its only the mindset and I am definitely not as experienced as you are.. but it all depends on the individual person and his ability to adjust ..
Some things will change but its only a matter of time..
Complaining is easy but seeing positives through it and conquering the personal objective is what that counts ! And for me as an Indian .. undoubtedly IC is the best place to be with ..
and that applies to any indian ..
Let me give u this example of the indian mindset.. An Indian Guy would have worked very hard in life and studied in the best universities here only to go to another country where he would be treated as an second class citizen.. but he ll continue to live there becoz he doesnt complan .. after all he consciously made that choice and despite all that hardships when he comes back to india he only speaks about the good things of that country..
Thats precisely my point..
Our Adjustability and Acceptability levels are pretty high.. but yes I can hear you saying you guys need to reduce it for good.. yup.. its happening.. just wait and watch..
Happy Landings Skipper !
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Air India
A lot of discussion about the treatment meted out to pilots in the industry. Well as a prudent poster said
3 years ago when the going was good, pilots were jumping ship to the first airline that offered them a little bit more, young Guns from the Air Force were using every excuse in the book to quit and banks actually rating pilots higher than nuero surgeons in loan ability and preference. It is funny how the tables have turned and regardless who or where one is working for a valuable lesson has been learned by all. Greed does not pay! The going was good, you all enjoyed, now join the lines of job seekers and wait your turn when the going is tough.
This naturally is not applicable to NACIL as they are a govt organization and work on principles defined on wall street on the planet Mars.
Now when i am an airline owner and I have so many unemployed young CPL s around.. what would I do.. I would obviously try to make a profit out of it..and thats exactly they are doing..(am not justifying btw)
This naturally is not applicable to NACIL as they are a govt organization and work on principles defined on wall street on the planet Mars.
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The Remaining 30% +or- is going to remain full serviced routes..
The reason Low Cost Model was mentioned in that page was because there is primary change in management strategy..
Hope it helps..
The reason Low Cost Model was mentioned in that page was because there is primary change in management strategy..
Hope it helps..
Rival low-cost carriers (LCCs) spend around 8-10 per cent of their sales as salaries — Air India’s ultimate goal is to become an LCC. Indeed, a sharp cut in the wage bill is something Jadhav has committed to the government.
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IndAir967
Thank you for your time to answer and regard some issues raised. (Better & more professional than some on this web site!)
I was a TRE on the 777 with AI. I received respect from those "below" me (a term which makes my blood boil. No one is EVER below me. We are colleagues of varying rank and responsibility, not above or below anyone)... so the respect shown was forced, very rarely genuine. "Yes sir, no sir, 3 bags full sir" when all I wanted was an honest answer or for the FO or Cmdr under check to disagree with me! Often I would breach an SOP in order to get a response and very rarely if ever did!!! Their job is to challenge & question the Cmdr if SOPs are breached!!!! So "respect"? No. Far too blinded by a culture of never questioning authority or those "above you". That is a DANGEROUS culture in this job. Look at KAL in the mid 80's....
I found it demeeming to myself and the porter to demand he lift my bags for me, or for the FA's to be too scared to call me by my first name on the flight deck. Again, not a criticism but a difference of culture which is not for me to comment or challenge. Just a personal opinion. Forcing a person to waite on you or call you "sir" is not "respect".
No, the USA is not ideal & I have found no place ever is. But the "systemic culture" of a place where the FO may challenge the Capt without fear of being yelled at or abused, where the FA's are comfortable with informing the Capt of something they thought they saw on the wing, or where the FA is comfortable with telling a Capt he may not smoke on the flightdeck, to keep the flight deck door locked.... that to me is more "respect" for the integrity of an airline.
If a pax wants off, you call Ops, get clarification of the rules and act accordingly. The pressure is removed from you. You get paid whether you take off or not AND your backside is covered. Again, at AI NO ONE is ever accountable and if need be a scapegoat is readilly found.
That is my point re the whiskey bottle to the schedulers! I never did and perhaps paid the price through the roster handed out. But my integrity was intact. This is the reason why AI is in such a damn mess!!!! "Everyone else does it so I might as well". It reminds me kindergarten children I am sorry to say. This is the culture that has been permitted to thrive at AI. It will take generations to remove it, IF they want it to change....pretty big "IF"!
So, back to the main topic, AI's recovery plan..... Change the thinking, change the culture, ENFORCE world minimum standards, get rid of children (200 hr pilots) flying RHS of 777s and 747s,....... GET ACCOUNTABLE in terms of organisation, standards and safety!!!!!!!!! Employ whomever, from where ever you must to get the job done!!!! A person not subject to political pressure or bribes from other commercial or work place influences.
And Sir, I do sincerely thank you for your previous response and I do not mean any anomisity toward you, but yes, you ARE part of the problem if you continue to see the need to bribe for your roster.
"Somebody should fix this!!"
YOU ARE "SOMEBODY"!!!!!.
Thank you for your time to answer and regard some issues raised. (Better & more professional than some on this web site!)
I was a TRE on the 777 with AI. I received respect from those "below" me (a term which makes my blood boil. No one is EVER below me. We are colleagues of varying rank and responsibility, not above or below anyone)... so the respect shown was forced, very rarely genuine. "Yes sir, no sir, 3 bags full sir" when all I wanted was an honest answer or for the FO or Cmdr under check to disagree with me! Often I would breach an SOP in order to get a response and very rarely if ever did!!! Their job is to challenge & question the Cmdr if SOPs are breached!!!! So "respect"? No. Far too blinded by a culture of never questioning authority or those "above you". That is a DANGEROUS culture in this job. Look at KAL in the mid 80's....
I found it demeeming to myself and the porter to demand he lift my bags for me, or for the FA's to be too scared to call me by my first name on the flight deck. Again, not a criticism but a difference of culture which is not for me to comment or challenge. Just a personal opinion. Forcing a person to waite on you or call you "sir" is not "respect".
No, the USA is not ideal & I have found no place ever is. But the "systemic culture" of a place where the FO may challenge the Capt without fear of being yelled at or abused, where the FA's are comfortable with informing the Capt of something they thought they saw on the wing, or where the FA is comfortable with telling a Capt he may not smoke on the flightdeck, to keep the flight deck door locked.... that to me is more "respect" for the integrity of an airline.
If a pax wants off, you call Ops, get clarification of the rules and act accordingly. The pressure is removed from you. You get paid whether you take off or not AND your backside is covered. Again, at AI NO ONE is ever accountable and if need be a scapegoat is readilly found.
That is my point re the whiskey bottle to the schedulers! I never did and perhaps paid the price through the roster handed out. But my integrity was intact. This is the reason why AI is in such a damn mess!!!! "Everyone else does it so I might as well". It reminds me kindergarten children I am sorry to say. This is the culture that has been permitted to thrive at AI. It will take generations to remove it, IF they want it to change....pretty big "IF"!
So, back to the main topic, AI's recovery plan..... Change the thinking, change the culture, ENFORCE world minimum standards, get rid of children (200 hr pilots) flying RHS of 777s and 747s,....... GET ACCOUNTABLE in terms of organisation, standards and safety!!!!!!!!! Employ whomever, from where ever you must to get the job done!!!! A person not subject to political pressure or bribes from other commercial or work place influences.
And Sir, I do sincerely thank you for your previous response and I do not mean any anomisity toward you, but yes, you ARE part of the problem if you continue to see the need to bribe for your roster.
"Somebody should fix this!!"
YOU ARE "SOMEBODY"!!!!!.
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after about 45 mins of waiting when u are no.2 for departure .. u get a passenger who says she is bored and wants to get off the plane .. Now in this situation will u dare to take off in USA ? Upon landing am sure u ll have to hire a lawyer .. But had it been AI and same situation in BOM .. you are the boss so u re good to go.. Thats precisely my point..
That just shows the basic problem in AI. They think they are the boss. But now people are wise enough and know that customer is the boss.
That's the reason why AI, the longest serving airline in India, with government backing and with the biggest fleet has a mere 12-15% market share much less than that Jet or Kingfisher who don't have same resources as AI.
Wake up AI. It's 2009 A.D not 2009 B.C.
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Red Baron - well put.
There's an entire systemic culture that has existed and will continue to exist at AI. To change the culture will take more than a new budget.
There's an entire systemic culture that has existed and will continue to exist at AI. To change the culture will take more than a new budget.
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re:top tup
We need to recognize the problems and dangers of what top tup has mentioned in his posts regarding AI. It is endemic to our airlines and these attitudes do exist in Indian aviation and some airlines are better at dealing with the bad apples than others.
Top tup,out of curiosity, how about your friends who are TRI/TRE's at Jet , do they observe the same level of nepotism , work culture, non-adherence to SOP's , lack of CRM that you have observed at AI? I would give a calculated guess and say that things are better at Jet .
We have a long way culturally before attitudes in the cockpit can change to match international standards and when I say international stds, it's not how well you can fly an ILS with an engine out and no hydraulics .We have some really smart guys/gals in Indian aviation but that's not all that's required to be a good pilot.Many a times we have this phobia of telling off our "superiors "if they're doing something non-standard or downright dangerous. For example, top tup brings up a good point regarding smoking in the cockpit.How many co-pilots would tell their captains /instructors /examiners that sorry smoking in the cockpit is non standard and would you mind waiting till we land to start smoking? Let me guess, less than 5 -10 % ....also those guys would then be marked or at least be afraid of reprisals in the next sim/route check etc...
These might sound silly or not important but guys this IS very important, the day one of us feels something's not right with this approach or maybe we are a bit too high and fast ....the same co-pilot would not open up fearing ridicule or reprisals from his/her seniors..that's how accidents happen .
To summarize, I feel that top tup has brought out some very valid points and can we fix it?, of course we can .... hopefully these views will be taken seriously by the airlines in India and know that they can be overcome by some discipline from the top/down .Adherence to SOP's should not be taken lightly, reporting of culprits without fear of reprisal should be recommended ,lip-service CRM is useless unless implemented in practice.
Before anyone from the so called Indian aviation fraternity blasts my post as expat mumbo-jumbo , just like to let you know that I'm an Indian flying with one of our private airlines, let's pull our head of the sand guys and we know exactly what I mean.....
masalama
Top tup,out of curiosity, how about your friends who are TRI/TRE's at Jet , do they observe the same level of nepotism , work culture, non-adherence to SOP's , lack of CRM that you have observed at AI? I would give a calculated guess and say that things are better at Jet .
We have a long way culturally before attitudes in the cockpit can change to match international standards and when I say international stds, it's not how well you can fly an ILS with an engine out and no hydraulics .We have some really smart guys/gals in Indian aviation but that's not all that's required to be a good pilot.Many a times we have this phobia of telling off our "superiors "if they're doing something non-standard or downright dangerous. For example, top tup brings up a good point regarding smoking in the cockpit.How many co-pilots would tell their captains /instructors /examiners that sorry smoking in the cockpit is non standard and would you mind waiting till we land to start smoking? Let me guess, less than 5 -10 % ....also those guys would then be marked or at least be afraid of reprisals in the next sim/route check etc...
These might sound silly or not important but guys this IS very important, the day one of us feels something's not right with this approach or maybe we are a bit too high and fast ....the same co-pilot would not open up fearing ridicule or reprisals from his/her seniors..that's how accidents happen .
To summarize, I feel that top tup has brought out some very valid points and can we fix it?, of course we can .... hopefully these views will be taken seriously by the airlines in India and know that they can be overcome by some discipline from the top/down .Adherence to SOP's should not be taken lightly, reporting of culprits without fear of reprisal should be recommended ,lip-service CRM is useless unless implemented in practice.
Before anyone from the so called Indian aviation fraternity blasts my post as expat mumbo-jumbo , just like to let you know that I'm an Indian flying with one of our private airlines, let's pull our head of the sand guys and we know exactly what I mean.....
masalama
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IndAir967
Thank you for your time to answer and regard some issues raised. (Better & more professional than some on this web site!)
Thank you for your time to answer and regard some issues raised. (Better & more professional than some on this web site!)
Indair967,
you are an idiot to put it lightly. Have you heard of the word integrity ??
you are an idiot to put it lightly. Have you heard of the word integrity ??
How on earth is that respect for you.
That just shows the basic problem in AI. They think they are the boss. But now people are wise enough and know that customer is the boss.
That's the reason why AI, the longest serving airline in India, with government backing and with the biggest fleet has a mere 12-15% market share much less than that Jet or Kingfisher who don't have same resources as AI.
That just shows the basic problem in AI. They think they are the boss. But now people are wise enough and know that customer is the boss.
That's the reason why AI, the longest serving airline in India, with government backing and with the biggest fleet has a mere 12-15% market share much less than that Jet or Kingfisher who don't have same resources as AI.
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@TopTup......
K.U.D.O.S. brother.I couldn't have phrased the entire post better myself.And won't attempt to!! Kudos.....!!!
@IndAir whatever.....
Have u never heard of flogging a dead horse man.....grow frieking up kid!!
K.U.D.O.S. brother.I couldn't have phrased the entire post better myself.And won't attempt to!! Kudos.....!!!
@IndAir whatever.....
Have u never heard of flogging a dead horse man.....grow frieking up kid!!
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so the respect shown was forced, very rarely genuine.
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Probe after India 'ragging death'
Family suspects ragging behind NDA cadet's death, Bhopal News - By samachaar.in
The Bumblebee
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TopTup,
I have given up on the first name requests, I tried my best and no one would call me by my first name, not even when the FD doors were closed and no one else was listening. It could very well be a cultural thing but it can be changed. I grew up in India and when I was flying in US we were on first name basis. I learned the ways, so I am sure it can be done here as well. The same goes for CRM, customer service and being polite.
Someone sent me an email and I wanted to share it with everyone here:
Good luck to AI and for record I do not work for them.
I have given up on the first name requests, I tried my best and no one would call me by my first name, not even when the FD doors were closed and no one else was listening. It could very well be a cultural thing but it can be changed. I grew up in India and when I was flying in US we were on first name basis. I learned the ways, so I am sure it can be done here as well. The same goes for CRM, customer service and being polite.
Someone sent me an email and I wanted to share it with everyone here:
> To The Editor,
>
> Times Of India
>
> Sir,
>
> Reference is made to Kingshuk nags blog Masala Noodles (Why A Strike Will Benefit Air India and Everyone) dated 21st June 09.
>
> The issue clearly,is not whether airline pilots are overpaid (7 Lakhs a month!) or spoilt prima donnas (living in 5 Star hotels) squandering “public” money. Are pilots to be blamed for Air India’s plight? Nothing could be far removed from the truth.
>
> It takes an Indian airline pilot almost 5 to 10 years of rigorous training, thousands of hours of experience, with a minimum passing score of 80 percent in numerous aviation subjects and various practical tests to qualify as a commander of an aircraft. He is solely responsible for a machine worth millions of dollars and numerous human lives. Every action he takes is recorded in a data recorder or a black box - no other job in the world requires a person to be more accountable. He is directly responsible for his actions and could die for making mistakes. He is checked for his professional skills, mental and physical alertness every six months through rigorous tests. He may have to undergo a preflight medical and a breathalyzer test prior to a flight. A pilot has to work in a complex rapidly changing dynamic 3 D environment, despite inclement weather, adversity, and uncertainty 24 X 7.
>
> Unlike a fighter pilot a civil airline pilot cannot escape from his aircraft in an emergency. He does not have an ejection seat or a parachute. Once a passenger aircraft takes off its pilots are expected to bring it down safely no matter what the emergency, situation or condition of the aircraft.
>
> Unlike the CMD of Air India or Babus and Mantris a pilot has no pending files and every decision has to be prompt and correct or he could pay with his life.
> He cannot adjourn a flight or break tables and chairs and throw tantrums at fellow colleagues .He cannot plunder crores of public money by burning tons of extra fuel or destroy a plane and remain unaccountable.
>
> A pilot has to bear tremendous physical and mental stress – caused by extremes in temperature and climate at each destination. There are body cycle changes and severe consequences of sleep deprivation caused by jet lag due to intercontinental time zone shifts, exposure to high doses of ultraviolet upper atmospheric radiation, changing cabin pressure cycles, not to mention dietary changes due to geographical displacement. Despite this a pilot is expected to remain medically fit failing which he could lose his job.
> The stress of being separated from ones family members for days on end can also cause severe stress and strain. This is exacerbated by a life of uncertainty as a pilot may experience frequent changes to his flying schedule.
>
> Forming the backbone of any company's corporate mantra is customer satisfaction, which in turn ensures market confidence and thus, survivability. No matter how slick the airline's image or marketing pitch, how glitzy its style, how modern its equipment or how pretty its cabin crew or efficient its ground handling - all these can be wiped out- in one swift stroke by one air accident. This in turn could destroy passenger confidence and an airline's reputation for years together.
>
> No IIM graduate, AS Officer, Mantriji or marketing whiz or advertising guru can prevent air accident - only I, the pilot can terminate a flight safely. And flight safety forms the foundation of Customer Confidence.
>
> Today Air India enjoys an enviable safety record despite all the challenges posed to its pilots regularly. (Singapore Airlines does not because of its recent accidents over the past five years).We have not had a fatal accident in over two decades - the last being the Kanishka disaster caused by an act of terrorism - something completely beyond a pilot's
> control. As a result of this fantastic Air Safety record, Air India saves millions of dollars in Insurance premiums each year - many times the salary of me and all my colleagues put together!
>
> Every time I use my flying skills to save kilos of fuel the company saves thousands if not millions of dollars in fuel bills annually. Fuel comprises the largest single expenditure of an airline. A smart banker or financial fund manager would have raked in a tidy sum if he could save his company so much money under a smart corporate perk known as a Profit Sharing Incentive.Singapore Airlines pilots share profits that equal many months of pay. I do not.
>
> Global corporate standards rate efficiency and competence by a ranking method known as the Sigma Rating System. The highest that most professions achieve is Six Sigma - where the probability of failure or making a mistake while carrying out an assigned task is 3.4 times in a Million instances.
>
> Only the best of IT software professionals, MBA's and engineers in the world have ever achieved Six Sigma standards - barring of course the famous Dabbawallahs of Bombay who were suitably honored by Prince Charles on his last visit to India.
>
> But two other professions perform much higher than Six Sigma standards. The first are Medical Surgeons who are expected to achieve Ten Sigma where the probability of error is miniscule. The second profession (you guessed it right) is that of Airline Pilots who operate under Nine Sigma standards and often pay with their own lives for committing grave mistakes. Besides, unlike surgeons, pilots undergo routine medical tests and Breathalyzer checks and have every move recorded in a black box for scrutiny and review. And Prince Charles has definitely not honored any Air India pilot in his lifetime!
>
>
> A pilot’s job is subject to stringent medical fitness norms every six months. He could lose his job permanently for something as minor as weight gain not to mention the various other ailments Mantris and babus are allowed to work with. A pilot in Air India spends 80 percent of his life abroad in countries that have cost of living standards that are many times higher than Indias. That is why he is paid in dollars and paid reasonably well. A pilot pays taxes for his hard earned money and does not rob it from the exchequer and tuck it away in Swiss bank accounts.
>
> 75 percent of Air Accidents are caused by human error of which 28 percent are caused by fatigue. A pilot whom is given uncomfortable, noisy accommodation in unhygienic conditions is going to be fatigued and mentally stressed - a recipie for a disaster. The UK Government has made it compulsory for pilots to be accommodated in superior 5 Star like hotels for this reason.
>
> And lastly, Mr Nag, Air India was founded by J R D Tata and Neville Vincent and the former steered it to the status of one of the best airlines in the history of the world until the airline was snatched away from him by the government.
>
> And guess what - Both JRD Tata and Vincent were pilots!
>
> With warms regards,
>
> An Air India Pilot
>
> Times Of India
>
> Sir,
>
> Reference is made to Kingshuk nags blog Masala Noodles (Why A Strike Will Benefit Air India and Everyone) dated 21st June 09.
>
> The issue clearly,is not whether airline pilots are overpaid (7 Lakhs a month!) or spoilt prima donnas (living in 5 Star hotels) squandering “public” money. Are pilots to be blamed for Air India’s plight? Nothing could be far removed from the truth.
>
> It takes an Indian airline pilot almost 5 to 10 years of rigorous training, thousands of hours of experience, with a minimum passing score of 80 percent in numerous aviation subjects and various practical tests to qualify as a commander of an aircraft. He is solely responsible for a machine worth millions of dollars and numerous human lives. Every action he takes is recorded in a data recorder or a black box - no other job in the world requires a person to be more accountable. He is directly responsible for his actions and could die for making mistakes. He is checked for his professional skills, mental and physical alertness every six months through rigorous tests. He may have to undergo a preflight medical and a breathalyzer test prior to a flight. A pilot has to work in a complex rapidly changing dynamic 3 D environment, despite inclement weather, adversity, and uncertainty 24 X 7.
>
> Unlike a fighter pilot a civil airline pilot cannot escape from his aircraft in an emergency. He does not have an ejection seat or a parachute. Once a passenger aircraft takes off its pilots are expected to bring it down safely no matter what the emergency, situation or condition of the aircraft.
>
> Unlike the CMD of Air India or Babus and Mantris a pilot has no pending files and every decision has to be prompt and correct or he could pay with his life.
> He cannot adjourn a flight or break tables and chairs and throw tantrums at fellow colleagues .He cannot plunder crores of public money by burning tons of extra fuel or destroy a plane and remain unaccountable.
>
> A pilot has to bear tremendous physical and mental stress – caused by extremes in temperature and climate at each destination. There are body cycle changes and severe consequences of sleep deprivation caused by jet lag due to intercontinental time zone shifts, exposure to high doses of ultraviolet upper atmospheric radiation, changing cabin pressure cycles, not to mention dietary changes due to geographical displacement. Despite this a pilot is expected to remain medically fit failing which he could lose his job.
> The stress of being separated from ones family members for days on end can also cause severe stress and strain. This is exacerbated by a life of uncertainty as a pilot may experience frequent changes to his flying schedule.
>
> Forming the backbone of any company's corporate mantra is customer satisfaction, which in turn ensures market confidence and thus, survivability. No matter how slick the airline's image or marketing pitch, how glitzy its style, how modern its equipment or how pretty its cabin crew or efficient its ground handling - all these can be wiped out- in one swift stroke by one air accident. This in turn could destroy passenger confidence and an airline's reputation for years together.
>
> No IIM graduate, AS Officer, Mantriji or marketing whiz or advertising guru can prevent air accident - only I, the pilot can terminate a flight safely. And flight safety forms the foundation of Customer Confidence.
>
> Today Air India enjoys an enviable safety record despite all the challenges posed to its pilots regularly. (Singapore Airlines does not because of its recent accidents over the past five years).We have not had a fatal accident in over two decades - the last being the Kanishka disaster caused by an act of terrorism - something completely beyond a pilot's
> control. As a result of this fantastic Air Safety record, Air India saves millions of dollars in Insurance premiums each year - many times the salary of me and all my colleagues put together!
>
> Every time I use my flying skills to save kilos of fuel the company saves thousands if not millions of dollars in fuel bills annually. Fuel comprises the largest single expenditure of an airline. A smart banker or financial fund manager would have raked in a tidy sum if he could save his company so much money under a smart corporate perk known as a Profit Sharing Incentive.Singapore Airlines pilots share profits that equal many months of pay. I do not.
>
> Global corporate standards rate efficiency and competence by a ranking method known as the Sigma Rating System. The highest that most professions achieve is Six Sigma - where the probability of failure or making a mistake while carrying out an assigned task is 3.4 times in a Million instances.
>
> Only the best of IT software professionals, MBA's and engineers in the world have ever achieved Six Sigma standards - barring of course the famous Dabbawallahs of Bombay who were suitably honored by Prince Charles on his last visit to India.
>
> But two other professions perform much higher than Six Sigma standards. The first are Medical Surgeons who are expected to achieve Ten Sigma where the probability of error is miniscule. The second profession (you guessed it right) is that of Airline Pilots who operate under Nine Sigma standards and often pay with their own lives for committing grave mistakes. Besides, unlike surgeons, pilots undergo routine medical tests and Breathalyzer checks and have every move recorded in a black box for scrutiny and review. And Prince Charles has definitely not honored any Air India pilot in his lifetime!
>
>
> A pilot’s job is subject to stringent medical fitness norms every six months. He could lose his job permanently for something as minor as weight gain not to mention the various other ailments Mantris and babus are allowed to work with. A pilot in Air India spends 80 percent of his life abroad in countries that have cost of living standards that are many times higher than Indias. That is why he is paid in dollars and paid reasonably well. A pilot pays taxes for his hard earned money and does not rob it from the exchequer and tuck it away in Swiss bank accounts.
>
> 75 percent of Air Accidents are caused by human error of which 28 percent are caused by fatigue. A pilot whom is given uncomfortable, noisy accommodation in unhygienic conditions is going to be fatigued and mentally stressed - a recipie for a disaster. The UK Government has made it compulsory for pilots to be accommodated in superior 5 Star like hotels for this reason.
>
> And lastly, Mr Nag, Air India was founded by J R D Tata and Neville Vincent and the former steered it to the status of one of the best airlines in the history of the world until the airline was snatched away from him by the government.
>
> And guess what - Both JRD Tata and Vincent were pilots!
>
> With warms regards,
>
> An Air India Pilot
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Desi Pilot, whoever wrote that, Sheer Beauty ! Thanks for posting it.
And as true and factual it is, no wonder it never got published in the news paper. Or may be I haven't read it.
TopTup, Sad but true, will have to agree to every word you said.
IndianAir,
Speechless.
Capt.Apache , Very true. Dignity they all must have (and get as well).
May be the culture just got lost some where in the process in trying to get a life. But when we finally do manage to get one, and try to change it, we figure out something.
"Hey ! Its not gona work this way Amigo!"
There might be one more small problem, I hear there are differences between the Ex-Military pilots and Other pilots in Air India. How true is that ?
Try We all must.
Silent.
Thanks for posting it.And as true and factual it is, no wonder it never got published in the news paper. Or may be I haven't read it.
TopTup, Sad but true, will have to agree to every word you said.
IndianAir,
It would take me just four letters to abuse you back.. but hey I have integrity and I wont get as low as you are .. !
Capt.Apache , Very true. Dignity they all must have (and get as well).
May be the culture just got lost some where in the process in trying to get a life. But when we finally do manage to get one, and try to change it, we figure out something.
"Hey ! Its not gona work this way Amigo!"
There might be one more small problem, I hear there are differences between the Ex-Military pilots and Other pilots in Air India. How true is that ?
Try We all must.
Silent.
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Gents,
Thanks for your support, but not necessary. I am only stating what everybody knows, just that way too few are either a) willing to admit it, or b) unable to take the blindfold off.
In all sincere respect I will, in part, disagree with the email posted to the editor of the newspaper.
AI is a LUCKY airline, not SAFE.
The training is well below international standards. If you are honest (coming from the 777 fleet, I cannot comment on others) the instructor arrives usually 45 mins late, no briefings, no set pattern to do (well there is but it is ignored). The pilots take a seat and are asked "Anything you want to do?" Of a 4 hour sim (fully paid for to Jet Airways by AI) it may be in motion for 2. As if by magic the PPC/IR form is fully completed before even getting back to the briefing room. Expats I spoke with laughed...."Apparently I flew an NDB approach and we practised incapacitation..!!" Of course, it was not done.
Let's not go back and re-hash the dispicable lack of implementation of SOPs and CRM that I posted previously and all seemed to agree with! Are they not VITAL aspects of avition training and safety?
The CPL pilots coming onto the 777 can do things by wrote but NO COMPRHENSION or UNDERSTANDING of WHY they do the procesures they do. One guy told me a few months ago that his FO asked hom to please define V1, Vr and V2 as he did not know anything but how to extract the figures.
It is not their fault. No experience to draw from therefore training must be in its place. The training is all but non existant. Sorry, that is a fact.
Otherwise I agree in part of the above email, but definitely NOT the part of how well trained the pilots are. Again, that was the main reason why I left.
So, AI's turn around plan? See again my previous posts for my 2 cents worth....
Lastly, and I will repeat this: "Somebody should fix this problem!"
YOU ARE "SOMEBODY"!!!!
In other words, every time you smoke in the cockpit, bribe for your roster, disregard SOPs, call in sick, abuse your FO, don't speak up as an FO, turn up for briefings late then YOU are contributing to AI's woes. It takes more b@lls to front up professionally every time than to cave in to the group mentality and pathetically low standards set by your predecessors.
Thanks for your support, but not necessary. I am only stating what everybody knows, just that way too few are either a) willing to admit it, or b) unable to take the blindfold off.
In all sincere respect I will, in part, disagree with the email posted to the editor of the newspaper.
AI is a LUCKY airline, not SAFE.
The training is well below international standards. If you are honest (coming from the 777 fleet, I cannot comment on others) the instructor arrives usually 45 mins late, no briefings, no set pattern to do (well there is but it is ignored). The pilots take a seat and are asked "Anything you want to do?" Of a 4 hour sim (fully paid for to Jet Airways by AI) it may be in motion for 2. As if by magic the PPC/IR form is fully completed before even getting back to the briefing room. Expats I spoke with laughed...."Apparently I flew an NDB approach and we practised incapacitation..!!" Of course, it was not done.
Let's not go back and re-hash the dispicable lack of implementation of SOPs and CRM that I posted previously and all seemed to agree with! Are they not VITAL aspects of avition training and safety?
The CPL pilots coming onto the 777 can do things by wrote but NO COMPRHENSION or UNDERSTANDING of WHY they do the procesures they do. One guy told me a few months ago that his FO asked hom to please define V1, Vr and V2 as he did not know anything but how to extract the figures.
It is not their fault. No experience to draw from therefore training must be in its place. The training is all but non existant. Sorry, that is a fact.
Otherwise I agree in part of the above email, but definitely NOT the part of how well trained the pilots are. Again, that was the main reason why I left.
So, AI's turn around plan? See again my previous posts for my 2 cents worth....
Lastly, and I will repeat this: "Somebody should fix this problem!"
YOU ARE "SOMEBODY"!!!!
In other words, every time you smoke in the cockpit, bribe for your roster, disregard SOPs, call in sick, abuse your FO, don't speak up as an FO, turn up for briefings late then YOU are contributing to AI's woes. It takes more b@lls to front up professionally every time than to cave in to the group mentality and pathetically low standards set by your predecessors.
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turn around plan
did the turn around plan include letting your engine catch fire and making it look like an accident as to cash in on the insurance? De-roster the pilots and engineers to make it look like you're taking it serious, and that in fact you didn't sabotage your own airline because the flight attendants are old and you can see their hairy guts hanging out through their "uniform" and the planes all smell bad, except for first class or business on the 777/747 which is really nice. I like the seven course meal in first class it was nice. Maybe the turn around plan should be not upgrade every pilot or friend of pilot to first class? that wouldn't benefit me. Late paychecks, corruption, overstaffed, unrationalized routes, wasting money, improper maintenance, all the pilots see the stressful situations, and are staying because it's air india which seems like a throne for a king!
booty booty booty everywhere? Not air india!
booty booty booty everywhere? Not air india!