A-I directors reshuffled in plan to cut cost

National Aviation Company Ltd, which runs Air India, has reshuffled its executive directors and created a new designation of ED (marketing). Also, all regional EDs, who used to operate from their respective areas of jurisdiction, have been asked to operate out of Mumbai.

According to the new notice, Deepak Brara, who was ED (commercials), will be the ED (corporate strategy). He will be instrumental in finalising the five-year map for a return to commercial soundness for A-I and its subsidiaries.

F J Vaz, as ED (commercial), who was ED (office of CMD), will deal with market planning, pricing and revenue management, monitoring of route economics and projects.

A new post of ED (marketing), Indian region, has been given to Rohita Jaidka, who was ED (ground operations). It will be an independent set-up to focus on marketing strategies within India. All regional sales and marketing heads will report to her.

All the regional EDs like ED (America), ED (Europe), ED (Middle East and Africa) and ED (Asia-Pacific) will operate out of Mumbai.

Also, the post of ED (sales and marketing) Ground Handling, Separate Business Unit, will be redesignated as ED (ground handling). This ED will also look after the job of ED (ground operations), which ceases to exist.

"Our focus is on cutting cost from wherever we can and so the EDs of different regions have been brought to Mumbai. The new marketing post will help us focus on revenue generation, which we need in the long run," said spokesperson Jitendra Bhargava.

State-owned A-I has incurred losses of Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion) in 2008-09 fiscal. The airline did have money to pay July salaries to its employees. Senior officials of the airline did not take their salary on a request from CMD Arvind Jadhav.

The government appointed SBI Caps to prepare a financial restructuring plan to save the ailing airline. The plan demanded Rs 7,000 crore (Rs 70 billion) from the government for the bailout.

A Committee of Secretaries, headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, was formed to monitor the revival of the airline on a monthly basis. The CoS allowed the airline to rework wages and also set up a committee overseen by additional secretary, expenditure, Vilasini Ramachandran, and key finance ministry officials, asking them to work out a financial package.