No staff shortage in Air India: Govt

New Delhi, May 2: There is no staff shortage in

which now has a strength of 26,851 employees, including 1,543 pilots, Lok Sabha was informed today.

The national carrier has a fleet of 121 aircraft as of January 31, this year, with the government recently allowing it to induct 27 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and three Boeing 777s, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said in reply to questions.

Maintaining that the Union Cabinet had approved its turnaround plan and additional equity infusion, he said non-official part-time directors have also been appointed to the Air India Board to render professional and managerial advice.

The progress of the implementation of the turnaround plan and the financial restructuring plan would be monitored on a regular basis by a Group of Ministers, Singh said.

The Minister said apart from the pilots, the airline had 3,102 cabin crew and 1,425 engineers. There were 5,109 officers, 3,395 technicians and 12,277 general category employees on the airline's rolls, taking the total strength to 26,851 as on March 31, this year.

On Air India's dues to the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), Singh said while the national carrier owed Rs 462.43 crore to DIAL on account of airport charges, other airlines owed a total of Rs 150.34 crore.

He said DIAL was "facing hardship due to delay in payment of dues" by all these airlines. Asked whether the government proposed to compensate state governments for loss of revenue on account of the decision to allow airlines to directly import jet fuel, Singh said there was no such proposal.

The states earn revenue through sales tax imposed on aviation turbine fuel with the rate varying from four to 26 per cent.

PTI