Air India's losses have mounted over the last week. Now it is making a loss of Rs 15 crore per day, up from the earlier Rs 11 crore. This would translate into an annual loss of Rs 5,100 crore. Faced with the situation, Air India chairman Arvind Jadhav is lobbying the powers-that-be in New Delhi with a begging bowl. He wants soft loans and equity infusion into Air India from the government.

He tried to defer the salary payments of staffers by 15 days and suggested that senior staffers skip the salary for June. This because the national carrier has no money at all. But his initiative has been met with a strike threat. The "bada babus" of the government have promised all they can for the national carrier, although they know they can't do anything because the goverment is strapped for funds. Anyway, infusing money into Air India will be like sending good money to chase bad money.

It is clear that emergency measures should be taken to stem the rot in the present phase as the aviation sector all over the world is passing through an acute slowdow. Trying to sell Air India in the short run will be like a distress sale that will fetch publicity but little money. There will be no serious bidders for the airline, not even for its famed building at Nariman Point in Mumbai.

About unions, the less said the better. In what is a paradox 100 employees who are union bearers of the cabin crew and ground staff union are officially exempt from doing work. Air India pays them their salaries and, what is more, even their flying allowances. The airline also pays for maintenance and upkeep of their union offices. As if Air India is a charitable trust!

As Air India is a 100% GOI-owned company, all its losses are being funded by the tax payers' money. That is your and my money. This must immediately stop.