New Delhi, Feb 18: VVIPs used to making `sarkari' Air India flights -along with the aam aadmi flyers on board -wait for them endlessly should now start boarding planes on time. The recent government directive to cut salary of staff who delay flights has meant that operating crew has started refusing to wait for dignitaries in order to take off in time.
The pay cut directive's impact was first seen in Bengaluru on Monday morning when AI 505 was ready to fly to Delhi at the schedule departure time of 10:30 am. Senior Congress functionary Veerappa Moily was booked to fly this dreamliner to Delhi.AI's commercial team told the operating crew that the former petroleum minister would board the aircraft shortly. But the wary-of-pay-cut crew flatly refused to wait for Moily as all other passengers had boarded the aircraft and had on time departure.
This is possibly the first instance of AI flight crew taking a stand on not waiting for a dignitary running behind schedule to take off in time.Aviation secretary V Somasundaran had last month asked the airline to cut pay of any staffer or even catering companies if they delay a flight.
On his part, Veerappa Moily said: "I was scheduled to reach the airport in time for AI 505. But I got a call a call from Karnataka's protocol department that the flight would be delayed and so I should reach the airport a little late. They said AI had told them about the flight delay ." Then Moily reached Bengaluru airport at 10.20 am and was told that the aircraft door had been closed. "I did not make this an issue and opted to fly to Delhi by the next available flight which was a Jet Airwa ..
Last August, aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had asked AI not to delay its flights to accommodate any VVIP, MP or minister who is late for the same. While there is no clarity how loss caused by flight delay is to be ascertained, the order has struck fear among heart of employees.
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