Union civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that Air India did not lay off a single staff during Covid-19 pandemic. “All airlines, all airports, all stakeholders of the tourism industry have been badly hit by the pandemic. Look at what other airlines did. They have laid off a huge hundreds of people. Additionally, there have been salary cuts. But these are their commercial decisions. Air India did not lay off a single person,” the minister said.
Commenting on the lay-off of 48 Air India pilots, which stirred a controversy, the minister said, “They had resigned before Covid-19. Yes, when the crisis hit, the management took a decision to lay those off who had already resigned before. It means you are neither here, nor there,” the Union minister said.
Amid reports that the government may ease some of the conditions for potential bidders of Air India in a renewed effort to privatise the loss-making national carrier, Air India chairman and managing director (CMD) Rajiv Bansal said the divestment process has not been delayed. “The bidders are relooking at their finances. We have given them some time so that the deal is beneficial for us as well,” he said.