A day after The Indian Express reported that the previous chairman of the National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL) was getting free tickets even after his retirement despite not being eligible for it and also being barred by the Delhi High Court, the public sector firm contested the report as “inaccurate.” At the same time, it set in motion moves to allow more such free tickets.

According to the agenda paper for NACIL’s board meeting tomorrow, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, “post-retirement passages to part-time chairmen/MDs of erstwhile Indian Airlines Ltd” is listed as Item Number 28. However, Air India’s spokesman denied this was being taken up “for discussion in the board meeting tomorrow.”

Sources said this proposal is a first step to expand the benefit of free tickets to officers from the IAS, IPS, IRS and other services who are deputed to NACIL as they are not eligible now unless specified in their appointment orders. It may not be taken up or had been withdrawn following The Indian Express report, they said.

The subject of free tickets has been fiercely contested in the two airlines before they were merged into NACIL. While certain categories of permanent employees of the airline are eligible for such tickets, the Central government as well as the Delhi High Court order opposed this post-retirement perk to officials on deputation from other services.

The Indian Express on Tuesday said that NACIL chairman and managing director V. Thulasidas and his wife flew free 18 times after Thulasidas retired on March 31 in violation of norms and the court order. NACIL spokesman Jitender Bhargava, in a letter to The Indian Express, however said the report was “based entirely on inaccurate and misplaced information” and was “devoid of facts”.

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