India (Commonwealth Union)_ Air India, under the control of the Tata Group since January of last year, has made another voluntary retirement offer to its non-flying staff. It is the second such offer made by the Tata Group since assuming control of the loss-making airline in January 2022. According to the notice, the latest offer is open to permanent general cadre officers over the age of 40 who have worked for the airline for at least five years, as well as clerical and unskilled employees who have also completed a minimum of five years of continuous service.
The latest voluntary retirement offer will remain open until April 30 and is expected to be open to around 2,100 employees. Presently, the airline employs around 11,000 employees, including flying and non-flying employees. Air India initiated the first phase of its voluntary retirement program in June 2022. According to Air India’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Suresh Dutt Tripathi, the request from employees for an extension of the voluntary retirement offer to other permanent employees has led to the announcement of the second phase of the voluntary retirement offer.
According to the statement, “The employees who apply for voluntary retirement from 17th March 2023 to 30th April 2023 will also be provided with an ex-gratia amount as a one-time benefit. Eligible employees who apply up to 31st March 2023 will receive Rs 1 lakh over and above the ex-gratia amount”. The first phase of the voluntary retirement offer, which was available to both flying and non-flying staff, had around 4,200 eligible employees, with 1,500 opting for the offer. Air India launched its transformation plan Vihaan.AI in September 2022, aimed at placing the airline on a path of sustained growth, profitability, and market leadership, as well as focusing on several objectives to be accomplished over the course of the next five years.
