AI needs to tighten belt, says new AI CMD

Air India needs to tighten its belt during this period of recession to beat its peers, the newly appointed CMD of the national carrier Arvind Jadhav said.

Air India needs to tighten its belt during this period of recession to beat its peers, the newly appointed CMD of the national carrier Arvind Jadhav said on Friday.

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Jadhav, who will takeover as the AI Chairman and Managing Director on May 4, said he would focus on enhancing efficiencies and reducing costs in a bid to bring the airline back into black. "We have to tighten our belts," he said.

Jadhav, a Karnataka cadre IAS officer, said "even during this period of recession, not all companies are faring badly. There are quite a few which are doing well and Air India needs to emulate them."

He told PTI he would give utmost priority to boost employees' morale and strive to achieve a seamless integration between the two erstwhile carriers (Air India and Indian Airlines) into the National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL) among other issues.

"Nissan and Renault, despite having different work cultures and identities, have successfully achieved their integration. Air India has to follow that model while achieving a seamless integration," he said.

Jadhav succeeds E K Bharatbhushan, who was appointed as an interim arrangement following the departure of Raghu Menon, the erstwhile CMD.