Air India's COO Baldauf resigns

Tuesday, 01 March 2011, 09:59 IST
Printer Print Email Email
New Delhi: Air India's first Chief Operating Officer (COO) Capt Gustav Baldauf on Monday put in his papers giving a month's resignation notice, days after he was asked to explain his reported remarks about political interference in the airline's day-to-day affairs. Mr Baldauf gave the notice to quit the ailing national carrier from April 1, airline officials told PTI. His resignation came after he was served a show cause notice on Wednesday asking him to explain his remarks that it was a difficult environment to work in with the government playing 'too prominent a role in the (airline's) operations'. Baldauf, an Austrian national who was appointed the COO last April, had earlier worked for 25 years in senior capacities in several airlines including Jet Airways and Austrian Airlines. Following his remarks which the airline had taken serious note of, he had a meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi where the issue was understood to have figured. Mr Baldauf had also expressed annoyance at the removal of Capt Pawan Arora as the COO of Air India Express, saying it would affect the turnaround plan of the ailing national carrier. Mr Baldauf was appointed at an annual salary package of Rs three crore with the mandate to implement Air India's turnaround plan.
Source: PTI