Perform or perish: Air India chief to employees

Mumbai: Terming "professional and productive work culture" as the key to the airline's turnaround, Air India chief Pradeep Singh Kharola has said in a message to employees that "we have to perform if we do not want to perish".

Kharola, who took over as chairman and managing director of the disinvestment-bound national carrier earlier this month, also said the onus to steer the company out of turbulence lies on everyone.

"We have to adopt a professional and productive work culture which will hold the key for our turnaround....your hard work has helped Air India to improve in some of the key operational parameters in recent times, but still, we have miles to go," the AI chief said in his New Year message. The government is currently working on modalities for strategic disinvestment of the loss-making national carrier. Kharola also urged employees to pull out all stops and "cast aside the deterrents that have been holding the flag carrier back from tapping the immense potential".