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Jeh

Air India rolls out big jet to please 'VIPs'

National carrier Air India may be undergoing an austerity drive and financial restructuring after the Rs 7,200 crore loss it posted last year after its merger with Indian Airlines, but those rules apparently do not apply to civil aviation minister Praful Patel's family.

On April 25, a Sunday, Air India deployed a larger aircraft than the scheduled one just to ensure that Patel's daughter Avni, her husband Prashant and her in-laws could all fly business class to Male, the capital of Maldives.

This was allegedly done under pressure from the civil aviation ministry, a top Air India official told Mail Today on condition of anonymity.

An Air India spokesperson, however, denied any pressure from the minister's family or the ministry, but admitted that the aircraft had indeed been changed due to " commercial considerations". For the regular Bangalore-Male flight IC-965, Air India plies an Airbus A-319, which has eight business class seats and 114 economy class seats. According to an Air India official, the load factor on this sector is not high, so it is commercially viable to fly this relatively small aircraft for an international route.

However, the Deshpande party consisted of seven members - Congress leader R. V. Deshpande, Radha Deshpande, Prasad Deshpande, Meghna Deshpande and Master Dhruv, in addition to Avni and her husband Prashant Deshpande. Since seven of the eight seats on that flight were already booked, the Deshpandes could not have been all accommodated in the business class.

Therefore, a larger aircraft - an Airbus A-320 with 20 business and 125 economy class seats - was deployed for the April 25 Bangalore-Male flight so that the VIP family need not have had to change their travel plans.

The change in the aircraft resulted in 53 seats (six in business class and 47 in economy) going empty on the Bangalore- Male sector. The aircraft returned to Bangalore with 57 seats vacant.

The same story was repeated for the April 28 return Male- Bangalore flight IC- 966 when the Deshpandes were booked again into an A-320. The aircraft took off for Male with 20 seats vacant and for the return journey - with the Deshpandes on board - 60 seats were empty (nine in business class and 51 in economy).

Mail Today confirmed that on April 24 - the day before the Deshpandes flew - Air India had deployed an Airbus A-319 on the Bangalore- Male sector.

An Air India spokesperson defended his company's decision saying, "The decision to change equipment was taken to provide more 'J' class seats and earn more revenue. All other operating and cash costs remain the same. Air India also ensured there was no disruption." When asked if the aircraft has been changed on this route earlier or any other sector, the spokesperson said the equipment can be upgraded subject to commercial viability.

This is second instance of the civil aviation minister's daughters pressuring the beleaguered airline to change its schedule to fulfil their demands. Last Monday, Patel's younger daughter and Indian Premier League's hospitality manager Poorna had allegedly demanded that Air India authorities cancel a scheduled Alliance Air flight (CD 7603, Delhi- Coimbatore) and convert it into a chartered one for an IPL team. The chartered flight LLR- 001 ferried the Chennai Super Kings team from Chandigarh to Chennai on April 20.

Such exceptions are made only during national emergencies when agencies such as the National Security Guard requisition an aircraft and disrupt flight schedules.

Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, had flown an empty aircraft from Delhi to Chandigarh where the team was waiting.

The players had reached Chandigarh after playing at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.

The charter jet with the IPL team on board flew to Chennai and returned empty to Delhi.

According to guidelines issued by the directorate general of civil aviation, scheduled operators cannot change approved flight schedules.

Forgive my language, but this bastard has to go Mad

. He's sucked Air India's lifeblood for long enough to finance his family's jaunts while openly favouring private carriers and foreign carriers across the spectrum. First, the kickbacks from the aircraft deal and his cosiness with Keskar. Then the botched merger. Now this. When will this brute stop, and who will throw him out?

Can't we file an RTI to ask whether the tickets were provided free of cost to his family? Did Praful Patel and co. pay for even a single one of those 7 J class seats? What other concessions paid to this man have been swept under the carpet? Why the fuck is this man still alive and sitting in the Ministry of Civil Aviation? Incredibly important question, one our consciences need to answer Shocked

Kabir · Member Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 791 Location: DEL

just...wow. Shocked

rdr · Member Joined: 10 Feb 2010 Posts: 42 Location: SINGAPORE

P PATEL is a small fish. Why doesnt anyone go after the ultimate piece of shit in India....Sharad Pawar ??

jasepl · Member Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 4257 Location: bund-bay

If this is his way of sending AI to its grace, then play on Prafull!
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d3vski · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 2:04 pm Post subject:

Do not forget that Praful Patel used to be an executive or director at Jet Airways. Do you really think he has given up whatever investment or links he had with them? Somehow i do not think so!

iah87 · Member Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 2566

If PP is gone and he should step down immediately, the next civil aviation minister will not be much different due to constant interference from the party leaders and opposition leaders and some from unions and employees.

The only way to radically change the situation is to slowly privatize or shrink the airline down (with a reduction in employees) until it can be managed.

Jeh · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 10:10 pm Post subject:

My personal favourite quote of the whole piece was this one:

"The decision to change equipment was taken to provide more 'J' class seats and earn more revenue. All other operating and cash costs remain the same. Air India also ensured there was no disruption"

A few pertinent points from this.

(1) 'Earn more revenue'? Yeah, right. I'm sure the Deshpande khandaan and the Patel bahu paid full-fare for J. 'More revenue' my eye and Betty Martin Rolling Eyes

(2) 'To provide more J class seats' because of demand, eh? WTF? So if AI 314 (BOM-DEL-HKG A310-300 operation) sees a demand for 25 J seats tomorrow when there's only 20 available, AI will pop in a 747-400 for a day to get the 744's 26 J seats? Who are they trying to fool, honestly? When the tickets for a flight have all been sold, you don't put a bigger plane on a one-off basis if there's one-off extra demand - you just put up a big board outside your ticketing office (simplistic, I know) saying "sorry, we've got no seats left 'ere, so sod off"! (I know, I was never born to work at the Customer Relations Helpdesk. And honestly, AI's ticketing office will treat you in approxmately this manner, so I'm not entirely joking)

(3) 'Air India also ensured there was no disruption', eh? So this A320's just been sitting on the Bangalore tarmac, sunbathing and laying big white eggs containing little A318s, and generally just waiting to be pressed into service for the next Patel family vacation? If an aircraft can be pulled out, at random, on a one-off basis, 'without disruption to flight schedule', then what exactly does that say about the airline's aircraft utilization practices? And then they go complain about losses. And if there was indeed disruption, as there must have been, well, need I say more? Throw.Patel.into.the.radioactive.waste.scrapheap.where.he.belongs. Someone, please. Sad

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

I agree with Jeh here, but, the sad part of the of story is that people in India are not aware about these things and they tend to take accept facts on facevalue, not pondering about what has happened and what had to happen and this continues to happen until and unless some source of media takes up this issue and explodes it onto the scene in a just about barely acceptably melodramatic manner. Now this goes on for two days, and then everything becomes perfectly normal again afterwards, hence leading to no action being taken against anyone. I'll bet you that not many people can tell the difference between an A319 and an A320, and politicians do most definately know how to take advantage of this lack of awareness of the general public (A319/A320, just an example, I am talking in general terms here).
On a side note, which scheduled routes do the A320's operate??
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Spiderguy252 · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 10:53 pm Post subject:

On a much lighter note, the A320 which the Patels flew on are probably the old IC birds and featured the old product rather than the new 319s and 321s coming in. Mr. Green

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Yeah.

Jeh · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 10:58 pm Post subject:

me111993 · Member Joined: 04 Sep 2009 Posts: 3225 Location: MAA/AMD

In my post earlier, I was referring to the new A320, delivered to AI just recently...
And, if the Deshpande's did actually influence AI into making the aircraft change from an A319 to an A320, then, well, they are stupid to say the least!! I mean, even J seats on those aircrafts are a nightmare!! I have flown (unfortunately) an IC A320 from DEL-SIN in J and have also flown an AI A321 in Y, I'd have to say, I would choose Y in an A321/19, hands down!!
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Causal Determinism : We are hardwired to need answers. The Caveman who heard a rustle in the bushes and checked out to see what it was, lived longer than the guy, who assumed it was just a breeze.

- Greg House

CHS · Member Joined: 18 Mar 2010 Posts: 311

PP at it again. Seriously, this man needs to go. He's definitely the worst of the lot of MoCA's we've had (or amongst them, at least). And no, he isn't Sharad Pawar's puppet or anything (Sharad Pawar is no better, though...).

Optimus.Prime · Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 10:23 am Post subject:

Publicly crucify the B*****d! ....He deserves it!
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HamiltonAir · Member Joined: 25 Dec 2006 Posts: 937 Location: Bangalore

Really pathetic. Its a big shame on these people.
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patkini · Member Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Posts: 313 Location: BOM

Guys,

I believe changes in aircraft are pretty routine at AI. At least on the BOM-IXE sector, (considering the large number of HNIs who have vast tracts of property in and around mangalore/udipi/manipal and the likes) on my numerous visits to these places I have encountered aircraft changes (Which might have been forced due to "sudden" demand for J as well).

A case in point being my recent IXE-BOM trip. While the BOM-IXE trip was on a dirty 319 (which was one of the first to be delivered and in Indian colours) and the same aircraft operated the sector for the next 1 week (as observed from runway 28, since I was staying close to the airport).

On the day of my departure I checked in online and the aircraft was clearly a A319, since the configuration was all economy and only 1 emergency door over the wings. I booked 3A and when I reached the airport to check in my bag, a fresh boarding pass was generated which showed seat 8A.

I asked the attendant about the need to shift my seat and he said aircraft had been switched. So I asked "321?" and he was very amused to know that "laymen" like us do notice things like these. And true to my expectation, while the loads in Y definitely were just about enough to fill a 319( about 70% of 321), I did see about 4-5 seats in J being taken up.

So, this brings up the Q....did these guys influence the decision for the switch!!

Rgds,
Pats
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avbuff · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 5031

If it is scheduled in that manner, then it is fine. But if a minister forces the change of the aircraft, that is something that has to be brought to the notice.

AI operates a variety of aircrafts on their BOM - IXE flight and their timetables say A319. But let me tell you, BOM - IXE is a very good performer for AI/IC and that at times demand can go up, unlike BLR - MLE where the loads aren't that good usually. Besides, BOM - IXE was an A321 for a very long time as the IC 179/180 is very very popular among the expats.

patkini · Member Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Posts: 313 Location: BOM

Jeh · Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 10:17 pm Post subject:

avbuff · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 5031

G-BYGB · Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 1:25 pm Post subject:

If Praful Patel has the guts to use the AI jets for his personal use,then I would'nt be surprised if he asks the AI to allot B744 for any of his relatives wedding in the future......sounds like a good wedding gift from a duty concious and a caring uncle does'nt it..... Wink

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