New Delhi: National carrier Air India on Wednesday served a show-cause notice to its first expat Chief Operations Officer (COO) Gustav Baldauf for violating contractual obligations at a time when the airline is facing a crisis, top government sources said.
Speaking to The Indian Express on Tuesday, Baldauf had lashed out against the government, saying too much government interference in day-to-day operations was hampering his work and the airline's turnaround plan.
"By speaking out to the media, Baldauf has violated the contractual obligations. He has been asked to provide an explanation for his actions," said a senior bureaucrat.
The one-page notice was served to Baldauf in the afternoon, said sources. In the evening, the Austrian COO met Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi for a one-on-one meeting for 15 minutes. Both Ravi and Baldauf declined to comment.
"The meeting was on a routine matter. Nothing specific came up for discussion," Ravi said. Baldauf also said it was a routine meeting.
Sources in the airline said Baldauf's outburst in the media was not viewed kindly by the government. "Such indiscipline can not be tolerated," a senior airline official said.
If given the marching orders, the airline may have to pay 50 per cent of his total compensation for the remaining period as per the contract.
Airline sources said that in the last 45 days, Baldauf has applied for a job to two international airlines from Russia and Austria.
The government had recently showed the door to Air India Express COO Pawan Arora whose credentials were doubted by the aviation regulator. Following this, Chief Training Officer Stefan Sukumar resigned. Both Arora and Sukumar were handpicked by Baldauf as part of his turnaround team.
Sources said the management is likely to accept Sukumar's resignation.
Barely a month after assuming charge of the civil aviation ministry, Ravi has concentrated his energy on Air India matters, holding meetings with senior management and trade unions.
Source: Indian Express