Air-India is also cutting down on its expenses by asking its employees to go on voluntary leave without pay for 3 to 5 years. Unlike other airlines, such as Jet Airways, it is not retrenching its staff. Around 15,000 employees would be eligible to go in for this offer consisting mostly of the non-operational staff.

The AI- Indian Airlines combine has a total staff of 33,000 employees. The scheme proposal is in front of the board for approval. The proposed scheme will not include operational staff such as engineers, pilots and cabin crew, according to Jitendra Bhargava, Spokesman for Air India.

The measure is cost-cutting one and one cannot foretell as to how much Air India will save as one does not know how many will opt for the scheme. Expansion measures to further Air India will be next winter, that too if the global as well domestic markets improve.

Most of the airlines are as of now suffering from heavy losses due to worldwide economic meltdown.

source:TOI 17th,2008