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| June 5, 2000 | ||
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 A
nation's airline is in many ways its roving ambassador, the flag-bearer of
its people. Air-India was expected to be that showpiece for India. The
Maharaja perched on the plane's tail was supposed to be a symbol of class,
a sign of Indian hospitality. He was India's smiling, international face.
But passengers are realising it is only a facade, that as an airline it is
an unholy mess. It is ramshackle and unprofessional, suffocated by the
bureaucracy, rife with nepotism and a slovenly reflection on the
Government that runs it and the country it represents.
Flying Air-India has become a nightmare. Decades ago, when J.R.D. Tata was its chairman, it was recognised worldwide for its efficiency. Now, so goes the joke, an Air-India plane on time is considered an achievement. Tales of its sloppy service, capricious pilots, off-loading of passengers and pandering to politicians who treat aircraft like their personal property are legion. But its woes run much deeper. It has the oldest and smallest fleet among major airlines, flies the fewest routes but has the largest staff. Not surprisingly, an organisation that once made impressive profits has gone to seed: in the last five years its cumulative losses have exceeded Rs 1,000 crore. Like so much else, the kiss of death has come with government control. Airlines the world over have flourished after passing into private hands. But a decaying Air-India continues its downward spiral into the abyss. To chart the airline's fall from grace, Assistant Editor Rohit Saran in Delhi and Principal Correspondent Robin Abreu in Mumbai spent three weeks interviewing pilots, ground staff, senior managers, travel agents, politicians and passengers. Says Saran with a grin: "I even found a grateful passenger. He said in first class he could walk around with his drink and even enter the cockpit. Other airlines wouldn't allow him that." Even compliments for Air-India, it seems,
are backhanded. .
(Aroon Purie) |
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