When i say Maharaja, you know what i mean. If not it's Air India.
I don't know, but anyhow i don't consider it an airline anymore. What sort of airline is an airline that frequently change the route, that drops the profitable root for the private player to rule, take new route that was never existed earlier. It doesn't have the money to pay gas companies, lethargic empoyees hardly manage to move there ass are in a industry whose dynamics keep changing in every passing seconds, yet they do strike. Are these all symptoms of a flourishing airline?
Whenever I see Air India it reminds me of Tony Fernandese of Air Asia. OK the story as it goes when he tried to set up an airline in Malaysia and got a chance to meet Dr. Mahatir. he suggested him to take over the laggard existing airline instead of setting up a new one. Air Asia was in a mess when he took over and rest is history.
The point here is, if there is a bail out or loan given which is public money on a highly non-professional airline, for its employee to be in the safety cocoon of govt of India. I don't see any other reason. Rather than pulling, dragging it to run in a less loss mode why not dilute the stake and sell the major chunk to a private player to operate. And i am pretty much sure from very next day it will run on profit. There is no rocket science needed to manage the Airline. GoAir can go from 10 to 78more in few years, Indigo from few to few hundred, so why not Air India. And i am sure you know why not?
This is high time, govt should genuinely diversify it's stake in those sector or companies that no longer profitable or can't be managed by bureaucrats. You can't take the tax money to keep alive the dead sector who are in comma with no chance of revival just on ventilator support (public money).
it's intersting to know there are some companies owned by Govt of India that are into cements, salts, cotton and don't know where else.
i am liking it, good post
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