Recent top hires in Air India may be kept in abeyance

New Delhi: Nominees of the government on the board of state-owned Air India are likely to push for keeping the big-ticket appointment of Pawan Arora as Air India Express chief in abeyance in the airline's board meeting on November 18. The civil aviation ministry has two nominees on the board which has a strength of 14, including five independent directors.
Government sources indicated that along with Arora, other two appointments of Stephan Sukumar as chief training officer and Kamaljit Rattan as chief communication officer would also be discussed.
These three appointments, which together cost the company over Rs 3.5 crore a year, have been questioned not just by the ministry, but also the independent directors.
While Arora and Sukumar took charge a month ago, Rattan joined less than a week ago. “We are exploring legal options on the validity of these appointments as the necessary approvals from the government have not come in,” said a source. While Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav has earlier said that the candidature of Arora and Sukumar was recommended by the airline’s chief operations officer, Gustav Baldauf, he himself did not raise any objections.
12/11/10 Smita Aggarwal/Indian Express

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

Categories: Air India Nov 2010