Murdering the Maharaja
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Murdering the Maharaja
As i write this, over 500 pilots at india's national carrier Air India are on strike protesting against what they call corruption and deliberate mismanagement at the airline by politicians and management to benefit private carriers.
I have attempted to document their side of the story on my blog. Please do take a read and leave your comments.
Cougar-Rides » SoapBox Murdering the Maharaja…
thank you
I have attempted to document their side of the story on my blog. Please do take a read and leave your comments.
Cougar-Rides » SoapBox Murdering the Maharaja…
thank you
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Question is... What is the right thing to do now? What is the way forward.
Maybe because of under handed reasons, but I still think it's time to let Air India die.
PT6A
Maybe because of under handed reasons, but I still think it's time to let Air India die.
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This has got nothing to do with aviation, or pilots. However, full support must be given to the AI boys for fighting the corrupt system and the press.
Patel & Pawar, must be exposed. If they are, it will pull down the corrupted duo of Manmohan Singh and Sonia. There are enough sympathetic news channels to sideline idiots like the TOI.
In the meantime, all Indian pilots pls start a DO NOT FLY KINGFISHER CAMPAIGN by word of mouth.
Patel & Pawar, must be exposed. If they are, it will pull down the corrupted duo of Manmohan Singh and Sonia. There are enough sympathetic news channels to sideline idiots like the TOI.
In the meantime, all Indian pilots pls start a DO NOT FLY KINGFISHER CAMPAIGN by word of mouth.
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THe "let Air iNdia die" seems to be the point actually of a concerted campaign by some corporate vultures. Thats what private carriers like Kingfisher want so they can pick up the assets for cheap which can be later sold off for a profit. Indian Aviation certainly wont benefit: only these vultures.
Vijay Mallya is just exploiting a system that is already there. Even as his own Kingfisher planes are rotting on aprons across India (see pic on article), he is trying to get his grubby hands on the national carrier for cheap so he can profit from selling off the pieces. Like an indian version of frank lorenzo.
@rdr: This is about the national airline whose pilots are fighting a valiant, and lonely battle against a corrupt system. We need to give them our support. A booming indian market requires visionaries like Juan Trippe, not a Frank Lorenzo type character like Mallya.
Do you support our pilots?
Vijay Mallya is just exploiting a system that is already there. Even as his own Kingfisher planes are rotting on aprons across India (see pic on article), he is trying to get his grubby hands on the national carrier for cheap so he can profit from selling off the pieces. Like an indian version of frank lorenzo.
@rdr: This is about the national airline whose pilots are fighting a valiant, and lonely battle against a corrupt system. We need to give them our support. A booming indian market requires visionaries like Juan Trippe, not a Frank Lorenzo type character like Mallya.
Do you support our pilots?
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@cvchetan and others
There is a lot we can do from the outside to stem the rot and save the jobs of these pilots.
The article is an attempt to summarise all the murky dealings. Add your views on the article on the site and bring attention to the issue through your facebook/google groups etc.
In addition write to your MP and all the media houses encouraging them to take on this fight. I have already written to some MP's including Rahul Gandhi, whose father Rajiv Gandhi himself was ironically a pilot with the same airline (Rajiv flew HS748's) and member of the same ICPA that is being targetted by these corporate sharks today.
As we speak, 9 of the pilots have been fired and more are to follow. And Kingfisher is being asked to operate extra flights to cope with the strike!
Truly a theatre of the absurd!
The article is an attempt to summarise all the murky dealings. Add your views on the article on the site and bring attention to the issue through your facebook/google groups etc.
In addition write to your MP and all the media houses encouraging them to take on this fight. I have already written to some MP's including Rahul Gandhi, whose father Rajiv Gandhi himself was ironically a pilot with the same airline (Rajiv flew HS748's) and member of the same ICPA that is being targetted by these corporate sharks today.
As we speak, 9 of the pilots have been fired and more are to follow. And Kingfisher is being asked to operate extra flights to cope with the strike!
Truly a theatre of the absurd!
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Articles about Shaw Wallace - Page 4 - Economic Times
hostile takeovers has been Vijay Mallay's game since day one... he will do the same with Air India.
hostile takeovers has been Vijay Mallay's game since day one... he will do the same with Air India.
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@royskaria,
Astonishingly detailed! Very well written!
The only way AI/IC/CD/IX and whosoevers under the umbrella will be rid of this cancer is if we the "TAXPAYERS" decide to find and occupy a "Tahrir Square" outside the air-conditioned offices that those good-for-nothing imbeciles occupy!
Vive La Revolution!
Astonishingly detailed! Very well written!
The only way AI/IC/CD/IX and whosoevers under the umbrella will be rid of this cancer is if we the "TAXPAYERS" decide to find and occupy a "Tahrir Square" outside the air-conditioned offices that those good-for-nothing imbeciles occupy!
Vive La Revolution!
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On the other hand... Do you think it is fair and propper that private airlines are forced to compete with an airline funded by the Government?
Not a level playing field no matter ow you look at it. Air India should be a PLC and left to stand or fall on it's own two feet.
PT6A
Not a level playing field no matter ow you look at it. Air India should be a PLC and left to stand or fall on it's own two feet.
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If the airline itself has been run to the ground by the so called government (corrupt ministers) who were clearly looking at some personal gain, then why not have, well the 'better' part of the government help them out.
If the airline itself has been run to the ground by the so called government (corrupt ministers) who were clearly looking at some personal gain, then why not have, well the 'better' part of the government help them out.
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I am one of the pilots involved in this strike..we are striking not just for air india but for Indian aviation. The strike is not just pay related its more than that we would be very happy if every other pilots regardless of airlines, would give us support to save aviation from worst conditions, corruption and cheap politics. Remember tommrow you could get into something like that so come forward and support us for a better future and save this rapid degrading career..
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There is no way out of this mess.....
It is not right or correct to pump more money into the airline, something that could and shold be challenged by international airlines when AI applys for routes.
But without Government help the airline would of died a long time ago, Government airlines like AI died a while ago... They should of moved with the times and become a PLC.
AI dont operate legally let alone profitably.
PT6A
It is not right or correct to pump more money into the airline, something that could and shold be challenged by international airlines when AI applys for routes.
But without Government help the airline would of died a long time ago, Government airlines like AI died a while ago... They should of moved with the times and become a PLC.
AI dont operate legally let alone profitably.
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Incredible Right Up ! Whats sad is the current civil aviation minister is more pathetic then the previous one. Remove Jadhav and Ravi, Initiate an enquiry on Air India merger and decision making strategy. Adopt aggressive reforms in the entire system and Reform Air India to its past glory. I still believe Air India to be my national pride. ALL INDIAN PILOTS MUST EXTEND THEIR SUPPORT TO ICPA/AI PILOTS FOR THE PROTECTION OF OUR NATIONAL PRIDE
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Murdering customer service.
I read the article with interest. I am a part of the flying public for the past 21 years. At first i would like to begin by saying, that both Air India as well as Indian Airlines were one of the most pathetic choices to fly even before private aviation started. They continue to be a pathetic product and instead of trying to change and become more efficient they resist change across the board (staff, crew, management across the board). While the IC crew are protesting I don't see the AI brothers and sisters standing by them. It is a known fact that both airlines are the fiefdom of people and unions that have run them and have one of the worst employee to aircraft ratio.
It most definitely is a political horse also and a tool of corruption which unfortunately seems to have crept in to the employees. In the 80's/90's the amount of minibar and duty free freebies that the crew used to dwell of and how they used to find their way to the market is open news to all. I stopped flying them for better choices so do not know if this still happens.
In free enterprise all gloves off to make things happen is the mantra. Each one of your points is speculative and while there is definitely political patronage in India, I as a flying customer personally think Gopi was a dreamer and a business model that was not sustainable in this country. Much like the name 360 his current business will go around in circles too. Considering it is 3 years old not much is heard of his planes flying regularly. I think his ego was writing checks his business model could not cash. The only writing on the wall he saw was an end game failure to his business and he sold out quite profitably. If you review the stock market price you will see what a blunder VM made as his ego got in the way of his business pride. If left on it's own Deccan would have run out of money and faded into oblivion leaving KF more cash rich than poor currently. Something maybe that should happen to the national carrier.
IC was turned around and probably a huge blunder to merge without fixing the rot in AI first. However please note that IC was turned around due to the competition that emerged locally and strong which it was forced to do so. AI needed competition and that is the model of free market enterprise. Removing profitable routes not acceptable but I did not see the numbers on these routes to validate that.
Now instead of asking a bankrupt airline for more money you should be asking all those in AI to take a paycut, pull up their socks and get more competitive and post profitability where good money paying people actually want to fly you, then ask for incentive based raises.
Oh yes and before we forget do push to privatize and push the idiotic babus and their appointees out. that would be a good start.
As for Ambanis...........you need to read history a little bit more about them. 2g, political buy outs and billion dollar successes in India today are not done without wielding probably the largest money chest, even more than VM, and bhatia. Damn the Ambanis do have a well oiled for PR if they can convince all that they are saints.
I read the article with interest. I am a part of the flying public for the past 21 years. At first i would like to begin by saying, that both Air India as well as Indian Airlines were one of the most pathetic choices to fly even before private aviation started. They continue to be a pathetic product and instead of trying to change and become more efficient they resist change across the board (staff, crew, management across the board). While the IC crew are protesting I don't see the AI brothers and sisters standing by them. It is a known fact that both airlines are the fiefdom of people and unions that have run them and have one of the worst employee to aircraft ratio.
It most definitely is a political horse also and a tool of corruption which unfortunately seems to have crept in to the employees. In the 80's/90's the amount of minibar and duty free freebies that the crew used to dwell of and how they used to find their way to the market is open news to all. I stopped flying them for better choices so do not know if this still happens.
In free enterprise all gloves off to make things happen is the mantra. Each one of your points is speculative and while there is definitely political patronage in India, I as a flying customer personally think Gopi was a dreamer and a business model that was not sustainable in this country. Much like the name 360 his current business will go around in circles too. Considering it is 3 years old not much is heard of his planes flying regularly. I think his ego was writing checks his business model could not cash. The only writing on the wall he saw was an end game failure to his business and he sold out quite profitably. If you review the stock market price you will see what a blunder VM made as his ego got in the way of his business pride. If left on it's own Deccan would have run out of money and faded into oblivion leaving KF more cash rich than poor currently. Something maybe that should happen to the national carrier.
IC was turned around and probably a huge blunder to merge without fixing the rot in AI first. However please note that IC was turned around due to the competition that emerged locally and strong which it was forced to do so. AI needed competition and that is the model of free market enterprise. Removing profitable routes not acceptable but I did not see the numbers on these routes to validate that.
Now instead of asking a bankrupt airline for more money you should be asking all those in AI to take a paycut, pull up their socks and get more competitive and post profitability where good money paying people actually want to fly you, then ask for incentive based raises.
Oh yes and before we forget do push to privatize and push the idiotic babus and their appointees out. that would be a good start.
As for Ambanis...........you need to read history a little bit more about them. 2g, political buy outs and billion dollar successes in India today are not done without wielding probably the largest money chest, even more than VM, and bhatia. Damn the Ambanis do have a well oiled for PR if they can convince all that they are saints.
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@Wannabe flyer
Allegations of "Poor service" cannot become an excuse for raping an airline in this manner. I am sure we will find as many positive stories on Air India and negative stories on Kingfisher.
As far as KF is concerned, they are an airline with a sexy exterior but a ugly w***re inside. Poorly maintained and shabby aircraft is not a new thing even with Kingfisher. Check out this pic (also posted on the blog) taken earlier this month of a KF aircraft for reference:
This then is the muck behind the "sexy" airline.
Its easy to dismiss off everything as "speculation": but my article is backed up by what was reported in a Parliamentary Report downloaded from their website and partly from investigative journalism by other brave journos who have not yet been bought over. Check out reports that have come in Outlook, Tehelka among others.
Much of the financial ill-health of the airline comes from the interest burden of paying for aircraft bought which they didnt need: it was a govt decision and the airline and its employees should be made to pay for it?
All we ask for is this:
1. Reinstate all pilots IMMEDIATELY. The right to protest is legit in a democracy. Silence in the face of corruption is the worst form of violence.
2. The routes that AI/IC were forced to withdraw out of be restored.
3. CBI enquiry to probe the various allegations detailed in my blog. The Parliamentary committee looking into it has already said the same things, so there clearly is substance in them to warrant an investigation against the minister Praful Patel, Vijay Mallya and others.
Vijay Mallya is a Frank Lorenzo type character, who will run down the valuations of a company and then mount a hostile takeover following which he will strip the airline of its assets and sell them off individually. VJM is playing the exact same game and the loss will be that of Indian Aviation and the careers of over 800 pilots flying in this great institution.
This is a scam as big as 2G and if Raja can be sent to jail then a much stronger case exists to send the minister and his corporate cronies to jail. The pilots should not have to suffer due to this corruption.
And nobody said anything about the Ambani's being saints! Way to misquote and twist words! I think you would make a good media person working for NDTV/TimesNow!
To set the record straight, As is well known, the Ambani's were also the target of a hostile takeover back in the 70's, but unlike Capt.Gopi, they chose not to throw in the towel and fought back and today they are a 1000 times larger than those who tried to prey on them.
Do you work for Kingfisher @wannabe?
As far as KF is concerned, they are an airline with a sexy exterior but a ugly w***re inside. Poorly maintained and shabby aircraft is not a new thing even with Kingfisher. Check out this pic (also posted on the blog) taken earlier this month of a KF aircraft for reference:
This then is the muck behind the "sexy" airline.
Its easy to dismiss off everything as "speculation": but my article is backed up by what was reported in a Parliamentary Report downloaded from their website and partly from investigative journalism by other brave journos who have not yet been bought over. Check out reports that have come in Outlook, Tehelka among others.
Much of the financial ill-health of the airline comes from the interest burden of paying for aircraft bought which they didnt need: it was a govt decision and the airline and its employees should be made to pay for it?
All we ask for is this:
1. Reinstate all pilots IMMEDIATELY. The right to protest is legit in a democracy. Silence in the face of corruption is the worst form of violence.
2. The routes that AI/IC were forced to withdraw out of be restored.
3. CBI enquiry to probe the various allegations detailed in my blog. The Parliamentary committee looking into it has already said the same things, so there clearly is substance in them to warrant an investigation against the minister Praful Patel, Vijay Mallya and others.
Vijay Mallya is a Frank Lorenzo type character, who will run down the valuations of a company and then mount a hostile takeover following which he will strip the airline of its assets and sell them off individually. VJM is playing the exact same game and the loss will be that of Indian Aviation and the careers of over 800 pilots flying in this great institution.
This is a scam as big as 2G and if Raja can be sent to jail then a much stronger case exists to send the minister and his corporate cronies to jail. The pilots should not have to suffer due to this corruption.
And nobody said anything about the Ambani's being saints! Way to misquote and twist words! I think you would make a good media person working for NDTV/TimesNow!
To set the record straight, As is well known, the Ambani's were also the target of a hostile takeover back in the 70's, but unlike Capt.Gopi, they chose not to throw in the towel and fought back and today they are a 1000 times larger than those who tried to prey on them.
Do you work for Kingfisher @wannabe?
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re:royskaria
hey roy,
Most of us support the pilot's quest for pay parity , what wannabe addresses surely deserves merit. No use shooting the messenger buddy, it is the obvious that he stated....
First off, AI/IC need some hardcore fixing if they are to compete from forces within and outside. Otherwise it becomes just a reason to keep employees employed.There's a huge identity crisis at AI , political interference &bureaucracy hampers the running of the airline.
Look at any successful 1'st world airline, they are lean, mean and change to market conditions before you can say samosa vada. Airline bosses have to be shrewd, look at opportunities everywhere to cut costs etc . as the business is a fickle one and making money in aviation is not easy if you dont know what's happening .....
I suspect that the govt. is seriously considering this strike as an opportunity to make some drastic changes as it cannot control the airline or where it's headed. The ironic thing is the govt. is responsible for a lot of the mess that AI finds itself in. As usual, blame the overpaid pilots and no-one will notice what we(the govt.) has done/doing to the airline.
So, roy , no use posting a pic of one of the dozen odd KF 320's rotting in litigation, maintenance bills unpaid etc. They are not the real enemy...the enemy lies within ...
take care, masalama.
Most of us support the pilot's quest for pay parity , what wannabe addresses surely deserves merit. No use shooting the messenger buddy, it is the obvious that he stated....
First off, AI/IC need some hardcore fixing if they are to compete from forces within and outside. Otherwise it becomes just a reason to keep employees employed.There's a huge identity crisis at AI , political interference &bureaucracy hampers the running of the airline.
Look at any successful 1'st world airline, they are lean, mean and change to market conditions before you can say samosa vada. Airline bosses have to be shrewd, look at opportunities everywhere to cut costs etc . as the business is a fickle one and making money in aviation is not easy if you dont know what's happening .....
I suspect that the govt. is seriously considering this strike as an opportunity to make some drastic changes as it cannot control the airline or where it's headed. The ironic thing is the govt. is responsible for a lot of the mess that AI finds itself in. As usual, blame the overpaid pilots and no-one will notice what we(the govt.) has done/doing to the airline.
So, roy , no use posting a pic of one of the dozen odd KF 320's rotting in litigation, maintenance bills unpaid etc. They are not the real enemy...the enemy lies within ...
take care, masalama.