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Foot-in-mouth Air India COO Baldauf faces boot
By airing his views through the media, Air India’s Chief Operating Officer Gustav Baldauf, may have committed the same mistake that had led to the dismissal of over 50 employees in the wake of the Mangalore air crash. Tushar Srivastava reports.
By airing his views through the media, Air India’s (AI) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Gustav Baldauf, may have committed the same mistake that had led to the dismissal of over 50 employees in the wake of the Mangalore air crash.
Baldauf had in a recent interview attacked the government alleging interference in operations.
As reported by HT on February 25, Baldauf is likely to be sacked on grounds of “gross indiscipline” and “violation of government’s code of conduct” with the civil aviation ministry taking a poor view of the matter.
“As per his contract, Baldauf would have been entitled to half his remuneration for the remaining period of his contract if he was removed. But sacking on disciplinary grounds means he would get nothing,” an official of the civil aviation ministry, who did not wish to be identified, said.
AI employees had alleged last May that the airline had flouted norms to get an air-worthiness certificate for its aircraft before they proceeded on a flash strike. “The court had stated very clearly that their action was wrong,” a top ministry official told HT on condition of anonymity.
“Sacking on disciplinary grounds will go against him for his future prospects unless reason for sacking is hidden from the next employer,” said Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a Chennai-based aviation expert.
Baldauf had been hired for a package of Rs 3.1 crore a year.
