'Shifting Air India Express office to Kochi is my priority'

Says new COO S Chandrakumar

It's official. S Chandrakumar, who was posted as General Manager of Air India Corporate Communications in Delhi, has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of Air India Express.



Though Chandrakumar took charge on February 11, the day his predecessor Captain Pawan Arora was sacked, the news came to light yesterday. The new COO spoke to MiD Day about his priorities.

"My priority will be to shift the Air India Express headquarters in Mumbai to Kochi within a stipulated time," said Chandra-kumar.

Recently, civil aviation minister Vayalar Ravi had announced shifting of the headquarters. "The building is ready. We are likely to shift the office any time by the end of this month," he added.

Controversy

Arora's name got embroiled in controversy after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) removed him from the position of test pilot.

Arora was then hired as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Air India Express on a hefty pay package of Rs 1.2 crore.

The state-owned airline's Board of Directors had cancelled the appointment of Arora on November 18 last year on the ground that the recruitment process lacked transparency.

But after dillydallying on the issue for more than two months, he was finally sacked on February 11.

Equity infusion

Sources in the aviation ministry say that Vayalar Ravi met his cabinet colleague and Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for a one-time equity infusion of 2,500 crore along with government guarantees for loans taken for aircraft acquisition and restructuring of working capital loans.

Air India has, so far, received a total of Rs 2,000 crore as equity and reports say the Civil Aviation Ministry has sought another Rs 2,000 crore in the next financial year.