Thread by @ruchirsharma_1

"Among union members — air crew and workers alike — and Air India loyalists, the idea that Praful Patel “killed” the airline to benefit Jet Airways, Kingfisher and other private carriers is an article of faith."

web.archive.org/web/2012110902…

"A sizable increase in capacity [was] granted to foreign airlines to operate in India without securing reciprocal terms. The 2011 CAG report notes that “foreign airlines derived disproportionate economic advantage out of the traffic rights” negotiated in these agreements."

"By 2010, Emirates, was operating 185 international flights into and out of India each week, more than any Indian airline. A senior official at the DGCA, which monitors bilateral agreements, told me with a smirk that “they say Emirates is India’s national carrier these days.”"

The change in policy also allowed Indian Airlines to bid on routes to Europe, but ... “Just before the bidding was to take place, Patel called up Sunil Arora [then CMD of Indian Airlines] and told him not to apply for London but only to places like Birmingham and Manchester.”

“He is not unpleasant, and he doesn’t shout and scream ... He speaks good English and is very sophisticated, which is important in aviation circles.

When the minister says ‘hello’ to a junior officer, one gets very impressed. That’s how he gets things done.”

“He will hold parties himself.Air India will spend the money and he will invite all the people, including from other ministries...He will go around and talk to everybody. If he got away with everything,it is not without any ability,you see,” the former official said with a smile.

"Javadekar was particularly severe with Patel, demanding to know why the names of middlemen had “surfaced in every deal” ... route rationalisation, which had benefited private airlines, was “a Praful Patel scam”; the aircraft acquisition was “the worst kind of corruption”"

"When I returned to Air India, Patel's displeasure was evident, “Don’t talk about Air India. I refuse to talk about Air India. AI’s problems have been historical. NDA was trying to privatise Air India in 2001. Even when I came to the ministry, Air India was not doing very well.”"

“Even in America, so many airlines have been sold, closed and merged. It’s not like it’s happening only in India for the first time. With competition, these are expected things to happen,” Patel said, before adding with a smile, “May the best survive.”