The Maharaja could do without more bad Press

AI 880 should not have been allowed to take off with a faulty air conditioner

On Sunday, Air India 880 took off from Bagdogra for Delhi with an air-conditioning glitch. The video of 168 passengers fanning themselves furiously has since gone viral. Aviation experts say taking off with a nonfunctional AC system amounts to putting passengers’ lives at risk. It is time AI authorities took notice of this and penalised the errant pilot.

The malfunction could not have come at a more inappropriate time. The NDA government has finally decided to privatise the beleaguered national carrier, 17 years after the first such recommendation. The airline is groaning under the burden of a Rs 52,000 crore-debt and barely sustaining itself on a Rs 30,000crore bailout package extended in 2012 by the UPA government.

According to a ministry of civil aviation report, the reasons for AI’s loss-making spree include the adverse impact of exchange rate variation owing to the weakening of the rupee, the mounting interest burden, high fuel prices and the rising competition from low-cost carriers. Plus, bad financial planning and management. Last week, in an attempt to shut the criticism it was receiving from retired employees AI warned them not to talk ill about the airline if they want to retain their retirement benefits. But if the technical faults are repeated, it will have to work doubly hard to thwart bad publicity.