Air India set to give salary hikes, promotions to pilots even as the Maharajah looks at ways to clear Rs 53,000-cr debt

Is Air India wasting taxpayers’ money? A further reading into the article will clear your doubt as to why we have asked this question in first place. Now read this. The national carrier is giving its employees salary hikes and promotions to its pilots, according to this report in The Economic Times. However, the move has not gone down well with some of the employees of the ailing national career. So, was there a need at all to dole out these hikes and promotions even as the company itself was in shambles and trying to stay afloat with grants and bailout package from the federal government. [caption id=“attachment_4279021” align=“alignleft” width=“385”] Air India is a government carrier. PTI.[/caption] Back in 2012 the then Manmohan Singh government of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition led by the Congress party had extended Rs 30,000 crore bailout package to enable the airline to continue its operations. Some employees at Air India complain that the hikes and promotions will increase inefficiencies in the entire workforce as those pilots who have been elevated to the executive rank will have to do office duty as well, which will erode their skills. The promotion of pilots to executive rank will cost the airline Rs 12 lakh per pilot in a single year. This will increase the total salary bill of Air India as well as leave a negative impact on efficiencies, the report adds. The executive pilots don’t fly as frequently as line pilots as Eps have office work as well, according to the Economic Times report. The development comes at a time when the government has intensified its efforts for disinvestment of the state owned flyer which is laden with a whopping Rs 53,000 crore debt. Plans of divestment include splitting of the airline in four independent companies, reports said.