New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS): State-owned Air India's chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani in an internal mail to all employees has called for better performance and delivery of services by listing out a nine-point prescription to aid the falling standards of the carrier.

"Unfortunately, in recent years the brand apparently has lost some of its sheen, we have been repeatedly questioned our performance and our delivery has fallen short of national expectations," Lohani wrote in the mail.

"This situation needs correction and having full confidence in the capability of fellow Air Indians, I am certain that the brand would again re-establish itself," Lohani added before listing out his nine-point prescription.

According to the mail, all Air India employees have been asked to put special emphasis on safety, enhancing customer experience by maintaining cleanliness, improving the cabin, making the announcements audible and maintaining a courteous behaviour.

In addition, Lohani's pills include improvement to the efficiency of the entire engineering set up, an initial on-time performance rating of 90 percent and a quick staff grievance redressal process monitored by him.

The national aircraft carrier has in the recent years faced several pilot protests who reported to work late resulting in delayed flights and a bad customer rating.

Last but not least, the chairman wrote that all employees should maintain integrity and discipline.

"We have to appreciate the grave crisis our company is passing through... I therefore expect total dedication, commitment, hard work and integrity from each and every single Air India and am confident that we shall once again soar the skies," Lohani concluded.

Lohani, who is a 1980 batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers, had joined Air India office on Monday last week.

Before taking up the top post at Air India, he was heading the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation and was credited towards its turnaround.

Lohani's joining at Air India was welcomed by a pilot stir and a recent incident where an Air India flight made an emergency landing at the Delhi airport injuring five people.

The incident had critics raising fingers towards airlines' ageing fleet supported by media reports which quoted pilots saying the particular aircraft was old.