AI to spruce up services, cut costs

Berlin: The new chief operating officer (COO) of National Aviation Co. of India Ltd (Nacil), Gustav Baldauf, said on Tuesday the turnaround strategy for flag carrier Air India will rest on the twin pillars of cutting costs and an increasing focus on customer services.
Baldauf, an Austrian and the first expatriate hired by Nacil to a key post, is no stranger to India’s civil aviation industry, having worked with the country’s largest private sector airline Jet Airways (India) Ltd as its vice-president (operations).
“Air India is currently carrying out several fuel efficiency steps. I will certainly continue with that. I will give more focus on customer services. That will be one key area that will bring Air India back to black,” he said on the sidelines of the 66th annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) in his first interaction with the media since taking up his new job.
Baldauf, who was executive vice-president (flight operations) at Austrian Airlines till recently, was granted an employment visa and work permit on Monday.
“Apart from India’s potential, I like India and I know India. This is a big personal challenge for me. I have to take up something big in my life and make it successful,” Baldauf said. “We need to make a three-year plan for turning around Air India. We will have to put an operational and financial plan together to make a clear road map.”
09/06/10 P.R. Sanjai/Live Mint

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Categories: NACIL Jun 2010