Date:02/08/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/08/02/stories/2003080204141300.htm

National

IA chief to be Air India MD

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG. 1 . The Government today handed over additional charge of Air-India Managing Director to the Indian Airlines Chairman-cum-Managing-Director, Sunil Arora.

Official sources said that Mr. Arora would simultaneously hold charge of Managing Director of the international flag carrier.While approving his appointment, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet said that Mr. Arora would hold the additional charge for six months or till such time a regular appointment is made.

Mr. Arora succeeds J.N.Gogoi, whose six-month extension as the acting Managing Director of Air- India ended on Thursday. Mr. Gogoi, who joined Air India in 1969, had been the acting MD since 2001. Though there was speculation that he would be given yet another extension, the thinking in the Civil Aviation Ministry was to name a serving officer for the job.

Similarly, there is also a move to name a Joint Secretary in the Ministry to head the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Belonging to the 1980 batch of Rajasthan cadre of the IAS, Mr. Arora has been at the helm of IA in the past two years. He was already on the Board of Directors of Air-India. His appointment was announced on a day when the domestic carrier is celebrating its golden jubilee. Senior officials said that Mr. Arora's appointment would help strengthen the synergy between AI and IA at a time when both the carriers are looking to the Government for expanding their fleet.