Praful, Air India differ on status of ‘sacked’ AI Express executive

New Delhi: A senior executive continues to work at the low-cost subsidiary of Air India, though aviation minister Praful Patel told Parliament last week that the board of the state-owned carrier has canceled his appointment.
Pawan Arora’s appointment as chief operating officer of Air India Express was canceled by the board on 18 November, Mint had reported the next day, quoting airline officials who did not want to be identified.
Mint’s 19 November report said the appointment of Stefan Sukumar as Air India’s chief training officer has also been put under review.
But on 25 November, Air India’s chief operating officer Gustav Baldauf and Sukumar issued a jointly signed order asking employees to enroll for a training programme.
They signed off on the order, reviewed by Mint, as CEO and chief training officer of “Air India Pvt. Ltd”, causing an uproar at the airline, said an official requesting anonymity.
The company’s name is Air India Ltd.
“It showed they have a foresight about the company perhaps, which we are not aware of,” the airline official said. “The word ‘Pvt.’ has now been removed (from the order),” he said later on Monday.
Asked if employees under scrutiny are allowed to issue office orders, the airline spokesman said: “Yes, official transactions by any employee are always within the rules of the company.”
An analyst said the ministry and Air India being at variance over such key issues does not bode well for the airline.
30/10/11 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Air India Budget Nov 2010, Air India Nov 2010