Air India chairman stresses on on-time performance

Mumbai: Air India Ltd’s new chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani said India’s oldest airline should target at least 90% on-time performance as it tries to revive its reputation.

In his first letter to employees on Friday, Lohani said it was important to ensure very high levels of OTP. “While the target will always remain 100%, at the initial stage, we should guarantee at least 90%,” he wrote in the letter, a copy of which was seen by Mint.

India’s national airline separately issued a statement on Friday that its OTP in the domestic market had jumped significantly in the last three to four days to reach maximum at 99%. However, in September 2014, its OTP had fallen to 75%.

Air India also had to take care of its workers and proactive steps to ensure that staff grievances are resolved, Lohani wrote. He said no organization could really prosper if its foundations are not steeped in integrity and value systems.

In the same breath, he also sounded a cautionary note against indiscipline. “The organization shall always maintain zero tolerance to indiscipline,” Lohani wrote.

Lohani’s message comes at a time when one of its pilot unions, the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association, is conducting a secret ballot that started last week, on whether to declare a strike at the state-run airline.The results are yet to be declared.

The union of the loss-making airline is protesting against a notification issued by Air India removing pilots from the workman category, depriving them of the right to form unions and strike work.

Lohani reminded staff about the hospitality element in serving passengers. “We are in service industry. And, therefore, all our employees should have a smile on their face and eagerness to serve our customers. Service actually has to be done from the heart and our mascot, the Maharaja, symbolizes the same,” Lohani wrote.

On 31 August, Lohani, an Indian Railways Service Officer of the 1980 batch, assumed charge as chairman and managing director of Air India for three years.

He pointed out that there is a need to enhance the passenger experience.

“This can be done through high standards of cleanliness of the aircraft cabin, improvements to the cabin, working in-flight entertainment system, audible announcements, courteous behaviour and, above all, a happy smile on the face of every employee of Air India,” he wrote.

He noted that in recent years the brand has lost some of its sheen, and “we have been repeatedly questioned on our performance and our delivery has fallen short of national expectations”. Lohani also pointed to the financial stress of Air India.