The Hindu : Search on for Air India chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 17, 2003

National

National

Search on for Air India chief

By Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI NOV. 16. Within a week of the Air India Board approving the fleet acquisition plan for the international carrier, the Government seems to have made up its mind to name a Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Air India. At present, the Indian Airlines CMD, Sunil Arora, is holding additional charge as AI Managing Director.

As a first step to finalising the name of a regular CMD for Air India, the Government has formed a search committee for picking up a suitable officer for the high-profile job.

The Committee — comprising the Cabinet Secretary, Chairman of Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training and Civil Aviation Secretary — will meet on November 19 to consider as many as 15 to 16 short-listed names of senior IAS officers.

It would indicate its choice to the Government shortly, highly-placed sources said.

The short-listed officers are of the rank of Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary.

At first the list was thought to have only those officers who have put in about 25 years of service and more but the criteria was modified to include officers of the rank of joint secretaries as well.

The AI Board barely a week ago cleared the plan for purchasing 10 long-range and 18 short-range aircraft at a total cost of nearly Rs. 10,000 crores.

The State-owned domestic carrier too has sent its proposal to acquire 43 aircraft from Airbus also at a cost of Rs. 10,000 crores. Respective boards have approved the two proposals at a time when Mr. Arora is heading both IA and AI.

It is being felt that in view of Mr. Arora's experience he should be given a free hand to steer Air India, particularly at a time when an ambitious fleet expansion plan is underway and it is looking at European and North American markets to increase earnings. The Civil Aviation Minister, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, too has also called for greater synergy between Indian Airlines and Air India.

The Maharaja has not seen a regular CMD over the past three years as the then Deputy Managing Director, J.N.Gogoi, was given the additional charge on December 1, 2001. Mr. Arora was given additional charge of Air India MD in August this year.

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