What Air India needs is a young and dynamic individual in the CMD’s chair. But even if such a stalwart were to be found, it is doubtful whether he would be able to turn the airline’s fortunes around.

A career bureaucrat from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Vasudevan Thulasidas holds the post of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the newly formed National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL), operating under the brand name Air India. Reports in the media indicate that search is on for his replacement. The tenure of the CMD is restricted to five years or his reaching the age of 60, whichever is earlier. Thulasidas is 59 and, in the normal course, is due to retire in March 2008. However, an extension for the present CMD is not beyond the realm of possibility.

Apparently, there are more than 50 applicants for the post which, compared to a parallel corporate métier, does not carry any attractive financial compensation. However, the associated prestige and perks imparts an irresistible aura to the post of the CMD. Besides, being a governmentowned airline, the CMD has so far been relatively immune from the pressures of performance, profit margins and accountability. How else can one explain the episode not long ago when the Minister of Civil Aviation stranded at Heathrow, had to shift to a private airline to fly to Delhi? The crew of Air India had reportedly failed to turn up for the flight to Delhi by which the minister was to travel. Whether any punitive or deterrent action was taken against those responsible for the botch up, is not known. There abounds innumerable instances of inefficient and chaotic operations triggering interminable delays; cancellations and overbooking appear to have become endemic leaving many a customer in the lurch. In this age of information, Air India can no longer insulate itself from the damaging publicity that is flashed across the world at the click of a mouse.