Cost-cutting measures to continue at Air India: Patel

July 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Promising to recast the board of Air India in a month, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Wednesday said the government cannot help the cash-strapped national carrier "beyond a point" and asked it to change its work culture. "Air India will be restructured financially, organisationally.

July 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said here Tuesday that he would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this week to discuss the appointment of independent directors to the board of Air India in a bid to revive the ailing national carrier. "I will be discussing names of eminent people who can give time and make a turnaround of Air India with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this week," Patel told reporters.

July 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Loss-making national carrier Air India will not go for disinvestment at the moment to raise funds as market conditions were not favourable, said Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel here Tuesday. "Markets are not favourable for an IPO (initial public offering) for Air India," Patel told the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament.

July 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Maintaining that low fare carriers were the need of the hour, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Tuesday said national carrier Air India will launch its own low-cost carrier under the existing Air India Express, which currently flies to 14 international destinations. "Air India Express will be our low-cost carrier and it has to be given a meaningful role.

July 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The top brass of loss-making national carrier Air India is headed for a rejig, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said, with the government proposing to hire "people with proven track record". "You will see major changes in the next 30 days.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Employees of national carrier Air India went on a two-hour strike at airports across the country from 1 p.m. in protest against the delay in salary payments despite a warning from the management that this would entail a pay cut.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - National carrier Air India has been asked to present its restructuring plan within a month, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said Thursday and reiterated that the airline cannot take the government for granted. "The government wants to know what is needed to be implemented in coming weeks and years.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Air India management Thursday backtracked on its commitment to the employees' union to pay staff salaries by July 3, pushing employees to threaten again that they would go on strike from Friday. Yielding to pressure from its employees, the cash-strapped national carrier had June 29 said it would pay the June salaries July 3, instead of July 15 as had been decided earlier.

June 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Yielding to pressure from its employees, cash-strapped national carrier Air India Monday decided to give them their June salary July 3, instead of July 15 it decided earlier. "The management has told us that we would get our salaries on July 3.

June 26th, 2009 MUMBAI - Air India's top management is holding a meeting with employees' representatives Friday night here to discuss its proposals to cut wage costs. Both sides held a meeting Thursday, but failed to reach a consensus on the cash-strapped airline's proposals to cut costs.

June 25th, 2009 MUMBAI - Air India's top management Thursday discussed with union representatives here a proposal to cut salaries of its 31,000 employees, but no decision has been taken, a union leader said. Arvind Jadhav, chairman and managing director (CMD) of the cash-strapped national carrier, was present at the meeting.

June 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Wednesday said the government would support and help bail out the loss-making national carrier Air India, but stopped short of spelling out the size or nature of the package. Patel discussed a bailout plan with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

May 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Nursing state-run carrier Air India back to financial health will be the top priority for Praful Patel, as he listed his main agenda for the ministry soon after being named minister of state for civil aviation once again. "As soon as I was given aviation (portfolio), I got a call from the Air India chairman and managing director.

March 12th, 2009 BANGALORE - As growth slows down, Volvo India, the Indian arm of Sweden-based heavy bus and coach manufacturer, has resorted to rigorous cost cutting measures. "Recession has affected everyone and Volvo buses is no different.

February 22nd, 2009 PANAJI - The number of airports in India will go up from the present 85 to about 400 in the next 10 years, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said here Saturday. It was a busy day for Patel, who visited three cities to inaugurate two new air terminals and lay the foundation stone of a third.