Meet the woman who wants to pilot Air India (and the pilots opposing her)

MUMBAI: In the long-running saga of Air India privatisation, an unlikely figure has emerged with an ambition to pilot the carrier.

Meenakshi Mallik, who serves on the flag carrier’s board as director (commercial) and has worked at the airline for 31 years, is the face behind the employees’ bid to acquire Air India. She and 218 other employees have placed an expression of interest (EoI) for the airline, responding to the Preliminary Information Memorandum (PIM) issued by the government.

While she seemed confident in a communication to the employees who have signed up to be a part of the consortium, the plan is facing staunch opposition from the company’s pilots, who view the management with suspicion.