“I am a very emotional person and I found it difficult to leave (my office)…. I found it difficult to say bye-bye to colleagues coming and bidding me farewell,” the outgoing Executive Director and Board member of Jet Airways, Mr Saroj Datta, said as he hung his boots on a five-decade-long career in the aviation industry.

On Thursday, the private sector airline announced that Mr Datta had completed his service tenure with Jet Airways on September 30.

Early days

“I began my career on November 15 or 16, 1962 with Air India. I had no real connection with the aviation industry except that my elder brother was a pilot with Indian Airlines. I had applied to several companies but Air India took me. I spent 24 glorious years with Air India and never thought of joining an international airlines till it became impossible to work there and for personal reasons I left to join Kuwait Airways,” he recalled.

Jet entry

But the honeymoon with Kuwait Airways was a short one. The first wave of liberalisation was beginning to sweep India and Mr Datta, who packed his bags to return home, was grabbed by Mr Naresh Goyal for a new project being undertaken by his General Sales Agent company Jet Air.

That was the beginning of the Jet Airways story. And as they say the rest is history.

“It has been a tremendous experience. If I am young again (I) will repeat this career,” he adds nostalgically. This from a man who survived a murderous attack on him at his Mumbai flat in the 1990s.

Post-retirement

So what does the future hold? “I do not have an offer. And unlike what some may speculate my health is fine. At this age there are some troubles but you will expect that,” he adds.

But it's hard to keep a 75-year-old energetic man quiet. “I will continue to do something…. But probably not be associated with an airline… May be something part time or advisory,” he adds and promises to fly down to Delhi now that he has nothing to do after returning from abroad in early November.

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