New Delhi: The story is becoming repetitive. Air India network reports
massive delays and passengers take to social media to vent their ire for
severe delays and clubbing of flights. The airline says frequent engine
failure of its Airbus fleet has lead to grounding of 20% of the fleet
strength.
This, coupled with Diwali rush on some days and inadequate loads on other days, has lead to flight delays, clubbing two or more flights or even advancing some flights.
Extension for Air India boss. PTIExtension for Air India boss. PTI
But the story does not end there. It now transpires that the airline is helpless in getting the engine manufacturer to compensate it or bear the costs of engine trouble with the fleet because at the time of buying these aircraft, no performance guarantee was sought from the manufacturer!
A senior official in the ministry of civil aviation told Firstbiz that such a guarantee would have ensured that the manufacturer bears the cost of repairs - some accounts suggest that Air India is facing fund shortage to get all engines back to working condition.
Perturbed over delays, minister Ashok Gajapati Raju Pusapati has already pulled up Air India top brass, directing engineering officials to fix the engines and get the entire grounded fleet air borne by March next year. Or heads will roll.
Read news in full 28/10/14 By Sindhu Bhattacharya/FirstBiz
This, coupled with Diwali rush on some days and inadequate loads on other days, has lead to flight delays, clubbing two or more flights or even advancing some flights.
Extension for Air India boss. PTIExtension for Air India boss. PTI
But the story does not end there. It now transpires that the airline is helpless in getting the engine manufacturer to compensate it or bear the costs of engine trouble with the fleet because at the time of buying these aircraft, no performance guarantee was sought from the manufacturer!
A senior official in the ministry of civil aviation told Firstbiz that such a guarantee would have ensured that the manufacturer bears the cost of repairs - some accounts suggest that Air India is facing fund shortage to get all engines back to working condition.
Perturbed over delays, minister Ashok Gajapati Raju Pusapati has already pulled up Air India top brass, directing engineering officials to fix the engines and get the entire grounded fleet air borne by March next year. Or heads will roll.
Read news in full 28/10/14 By Sindhu Bhattacharya/FirstBiz
No comments:
Post a Comment