DGCA seeks documents from S Sukumar to prove experience.
Adding to the woes of Air India concerning appointments, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has withheld the Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorisation (FATA) licence of Stephen Sukumar, asking for papers supporting his flying hours' claim.
Sukumar is the Chief Training Officer of the government carrier and his appointment is being reviewed by a two-member committee formed by the airline board. “The DGCA has withheld the FATA licence of Stephen Sukumar and asked for papers supporting his flying and training hour claims,” said a civil aviation ministry official seeking anonymity. The carrier, however, has termed all this unfortunate and hampering the turnaround plan of the carrier.
“Such unnecessary issues will only impact the turnaround plan of the airline. Instead of focusing on revamping the airline, the professional guys are made to run to various organisations and committees for one reason or the other,” said a top Air India executive.
He said that Sukumar had informed the DGCA that his papers were with his earlier organisation. “Sukumar is in the process of getting his papers from his former company and will submit it to the DGCA,” said the executive.
Taking forward its turnaround plan, Air India hired four key officials from outside — Chief Operating Officer Gustav Baldauf, Chief Training Officer Stephen Sukumar, Chief Information Officer Kanwaljeet Ratan and Chief Operating Officer for AI Express Pawan Arora.
Two out of the four new appointments ratified by the airline board have landed into trouble. The management has dismissed Arora and ordered a review of the appointment of Sukumar.
Having worked with the Indian Air Force, Arora had worked with various airlines in the country and was with IndiGo before joining AI. Sukumar joined the airline from Lufthansa where he was working as chief flight instructor. Examining his appointment is crucial for the airline before it joins the Star Alliance.
From next month, representatives from all member airlines of Star Alliance will audit various aspects like finance, operational processes and training of employees. Air India will have to clear these audits to become a part of the network.
Star Alliance has 26 carriers as members and the entry will provide AI part of a network that operates around 19,500 flights every day from as many as 1,071 airports in 171 countries.
Air India is running under losses of over Rs 15,000 crore and working capital debt of over Rs 21,000 crore carries an interest burden of 12 per cent. The carrier’s annual interest payment is Rs 1,800 crore on a debt of over Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 21,000 crore is the working capital debt and the rest low-cost debt taken primarily to buy aircraft).
In an attempt to bail out the airline, the government recently injected two tranches of Rs 1,200 crore and Rs 800 crore in 2009-10, raising the equity base to Rs 2,145 crore. Air India has asked for another shot of Rs 2,000 crore to improve its financial condition and debt-equity ratio.
