The Hindu : Sunil Arora new IA chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 12, 2002

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Sunil Arora new IA chief

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI JUNE 11. In keeping with the principle of `one man one post', the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Shahnawaz Hussain, has cleared the appointment of Sunil Arora as Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Airlines and of Sanat Kaul, a joint secretary in the Ministry, as India's representative to International Civil Aviation Organisation in Bangkok. The appointment of Mr. Arora came after approval from the PMO.

To fill up the vacant post of the Managing-Director of Air India, the Minister has urged the Ministry of Personnel to constitute a Search Committee. The post is now being held by the airline's Deputy Managing-Director, J.N. Gogoi. The Secretary, Civil Aviation, K.Roy Paul, is the part-time Chairman of Air India.

In the ongoing appointments, Mr. Shahnawaz has elevated IGI's Airport Director, N. Sridhar, to the post of Chairman, Pawan Hans. At the same time three names have been short-listed for the post of Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI) including that of the officiating Chairman, S.K. Narula (Member Personnel) and Member (Planning), K. Ramalingam.

Mr. Sunil Arora has been appointed the CMD of Indian Airlines for a period of three years. A Rajasthan cadre IAS officer, he will quit his post as Joint Secretary (Policy and Planning) in the Ministry. He has completed two years officiating as CMD during which period the airline has added new foreign destinations including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Bangkok and is all set to acquire 43 new aircraft to augment its fleet.

The airline has improved the product and taken new domestic marketing initiatives by signing MOUs with several State Governments for tourism and holiday packages. To beat competition, the airline introduced `flexifare system' rather than increasing fares across the board.

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