Whiplash

I want to fly the Dreamliner. Imagine that the latest fracas in the
long running ill fated shotgun wedding soap opera of Air India and
Indian Airlines is that erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots want to fly
the Dreamliner. Bah, so what is the big deal if they want to fly the
jet? Why aren’t they being allowed to fly it? How can that be the
sticking point to hold all of us to ransom? Air India pilots don’t
want them to fly the planeas it impairs their career progression. Like
petulant children, they are squabbling over a new toy. Mera hai, nahin
mera hai (Mine, it is mine). Simply told, the no brainer merger was
between two airlines which flew different types of aircraft – Boeing
by Air India and Airbus by Indian as it was called just before the
merger. Incidentally Indian Airlines went ahead and conducted a
massive rebranding exercise, rechristened as it was from Indian
Airlines to Indian with everything from livery to uniforms and plane
tail logos only months before the 2007 merger .

Before you could say Praful Patel, the merger was initiated and that
is the genesis of the downslide. Actually it is more like a fall from
a cliff for the merged entity. Saddled with debt, courtesy two massive
yet disparate aircraft renewal programmes, the airline has never been
able to achieve what was meant. Which was fleet rationalization,
integration, synergy, savings. The report card says F. How can an
airline which earns 26 crore daily and spends Rs 62 crore fly? It is
losing money hand over fist. And fuel cost at Rs 14 crore daily is not
the only reason for the red swathe across the books.

Mismanagement across the board is a more honest appraisal of the
situation. The Chicago Tribune reported the other day that Boeing
South Carolina is preparing to deliver the first Dreamliner to Air
India in June. As part of the merger process, it is believed that Air
India pilots had agreed to allow cross training. The minister Ajit
Singh is faced with a piquant crisis, the pilots refuse to talk to
him, even as they show scant respect to the Delhi H.C order.

A merger made in hell. Resulting in incessant pain for flyers.