Air India chief Rajiv Bansal warns employees against performance lapses

Bansal has initiated steps to cut down costs at various levels and focus on bettering on-time performance.

Warning employees against any lapses that may hamper the performance of the airline and customer satisfaction consequently, Air India chief Rajiv Bansal has said the airline will “act on those who fail to act” in ensuring on-time flights.

Bansal, who took over the reins of the disinvestment-bound national carrier less than two weeks ago, has initiated steps to cut down costs at various levels. He aims to focus on bettering on-time performance (OTP), increasing passenger yields and improving customer satisfaction.

The airline operates nearly 400 flights every day, but has been facing flak for delays for some time now. The chairman and managing director of the airline stressed that whatever action is required will be taken to ensure quality in ground handling, crew, in-flight, engineering checking and food supplies, among other aspects. The chief confirmed that the message has been strongly conveyed across levels.

Bansal also shared that although Air India has some great time slots, the delay in flights can kill the value of the slot. The OTP of Air India’s domestic flights from four metro airports stood at 65.5 per cent in July, way lower than many other local carriers, according to the official data.

Asserting that there will be zero tolerance for flight delays due to issues of ground handling and technical glitches, Bansal added that these are matters internal to the company and will be taken care of.