Loot of PSU Airlines.

It has come full circle. In 1953, the airline was nationalised when the government took hold of a majority of its shares. The irony is that the Tatas - the original owner - has bought over the company. The airline going back to its owner is poetic justice! It's my fond hope that the carrier's class and style return without any delay!  

* My aunt was an air hostess with Indian Airlines. In 1992, she bought a flat in Feroz Shah Road, New Delhi for around Rs.3 crores. How did she save that much of money? She said, "In the past 20 years with IA, I never had to pay for food, transport or rent".

* Air Hostesses would take home all sorts of stuff - cookies, juice, cutlery, food, chocolates. If you flew in the 1990s, you would remember they rarely brought an extra coffee or candy. They just carted home everything at the end of the flight. Passengers be damned.

* She said, in Air India, every employee (even a class IV employee) was entitled to one free ticket for the entire family to an international destination. Often they were bumped up to First Class at the airport. Indian Airlines employees enjoyed similar perks.

* Air hostesses and stewards of Indian Airlines vied to get on the Gulf and South East Asian routes as this allowed them to bring electronics which they sold in Delhi's Palika Bazar and Gafar Market. Pilots also became couriers.

* I bought my first Sony Handycam in 2005 from Gafar Market. Through a photographer friend, I approached the shopkeeper who asked me which model number I wanted. This model was given to an IA pilot who bought it a few days later. Total cost Rs.17,000/- Original Made in Japan.

* Imagine this loot happening for the past 70 years. Every few years, the government bailed out Air India and Indian Airlines with tens of thousands of crore rupees. They were kept alive on a drip feed because it allowed the political leadership and bureaucracy to siphon resources.

* Air India was the first airline in Asia to acquire a jetliner - the Boeing 707. It was a prestigious and profitable airline under the Tatas. The Maharajah was synonymous with luxury and upmarket.  The government ran the airline into the ground.

* In 2014 or so I saw an older air hostess reprimanding her junior in front of the passengers. She could have offered stiff competition to an ogre. Even a 2 star hotel would not have hired her as a room cleaner.

* India's average living standards and per capita income place it 10 or 20 times below the West. Despite this, we maintained two white elephant airlines that sucked in incalculable cash. There are still many sectors remaining where such loot is going on.

* It took Narendra Modi 7 years to privatise Air India. This is because the political leadership and bureaucrats benefitted from free flights and job placements for their sons and daughters in the airline. Plus, loot of fuel. Catering contracts to companies floated by the INC.

* Because PSU loot has support from nearly all political parties except BJP, it is nothing less than a miracle that this has happened. I'm surprised the Supreme Court hasn't jumped into the ring and cancelled the sale.

Courtesy. What'sApp.

My take

I'm glad that the Tatas have taken over the airline which augurs well.

Tailpiece.

Got up around a 20' past 6, the chores and was ready by 10. Today, incidentally, is the first day of Navaratri.

Caught up with a friend after what seemed to be a long time. Her relative seems to be going through acute depression after a bout of Covid!