Air India pilots’ strike: Chaos worsens, 60 flights cancelled

Mangalore Today News Network

Delhi/Mumbai, April 29:  With the Air India pilots’ strike continuing, 26 flights out of Mumbai and 28 flights out of Delhi have been cancelled so far on Thursday morning.

 

Nearly 700 pilots, who earlier flew for Indian Airlines, began a strike on Wednesday demanding better pay. Indian Airlines was merged in 2007 with Air India. These pilots say that Air India pilots are paid more and they want the disparity to end.

Yesterday, the Delhi High Court asked the agitating pilots to call off their strike in "larger public interest," but they seem to be no mood to return to the cockpit. They are likely to approach the Supreme Court against the High Court order.

The Air India management on Wednesday derecognised their union - the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) - and sealed its offices in Mumbai and Delhi, declaring the strike illegal. The President and General Secretary of the union lost their jobs with the airline. Another four pilots were sacked and two were suspended.

"These pilots cannot dictate terms, they are the highest-paid in the country", said Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi.

Late last evening, Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav sent a letter to all striking pilots to return to work assuring them that their issues would be addressed by Retd. Justice Dharmadhikari Committee formed to look into issues of pay parity, seniority and integration of Air India and Indian Airlines. The pilots are likely to meet Central Labour Commissioner in Delhi this evening for conciliatory talks.

"We have given a strike notice on the 23rd of February. It is now two months and three days, we have waited. So if they say we have no patience, they are trying to fool not just us, they are trying to fool the media and the public of this country," Rishabh Kapur, General Secretary, Indian Commercial Pilots Association, had said on Wednesday.

The striking pilots are demanding fixed salaries like pilots of Air India, with which Indian Airlines merged in 2007. Pilots flying domestic routes are paid as per flying hours, unlike their counterparts who fly to destinations outside India and get a fixed salary.

The striking pilots say the salary crunch is harder these days as domestic routes have been reduced.

Close to 150 executive or management pilots - who handle administrative assignments and operate flights - were being used on Wednesday to step in for those on strike. But today, 25 executive pilots from Delhi and 32 from Mumbai have called in sick. This is likely to have more impact on flights.

 Larger planes - like the Boeing 777 and Boeing 747 - could be used for key metro routes like Delhi and Mumbai to ensure fewer pilots are needed.

Cancelled Air India Flights
 
1. AI 1116 Amritsar    06:30
2. AI 665 Mumbai     08:00
3. AI 411 Lucknow    08:05
4. AI 659 Mumbai     09:00
5. AI 463 Dehradun  09:35
6. AI 688 Mumbai   06:00
7. AI 817 Ahmedabad   06:00
8. AI 409 Patna      06:45
9. AI 560 Hyderabad 06:50
10. AI 762 Kolkata  10:15
11. AI 406 Varanasi 10:30
12. AI 506 Bangalore 10:30
13. AI 821 Srinagar 11:30
14. AI 425 Srinagar 11:15
15. AI 809 Ranchi  11:00
16. AI 879 Bangalore  07:50
17. AI 213 Kathmandu 0730
18. AI 344 Leh 07:20

Air India Strike

New Delhi, APril 26: Air India Ltd. may Wednesday cancel up to 92 of the 460 flights it operates each day because of a strike by a group of pilots, said a senior executive at the national carrier.

"We might have to cancel about 20% of our daily flights because of the strike. The exact number will be assessed later in the day," the executive, who didn’t wish to be named, said.

Air India employs about 1,500 pilots, he said.

The executive said Air India has cancelled 16 flights since early Wednesday while combining nine other flights.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association, or ICPA, which claims to represent more than 650 pilots at Air India, has called the strike since midnight as negotiations with the airline management failed.

The pilots are part of the erstwhile domestic carrier Indian Airlines and are demanding wage parity with their peers of the former Air India. Prior to the 2007 merger of the two carriers by the federal government, Air India operated mostly international routes, while Indian Airlines mainly catered to the domestic market.

Pilots of the former Air India enjoyed higher wages and perks compared with those of Indian Airlines.

The striking pilots are also seeking outstanding allowances with the erstwhile Air India pilots, perks and flying allowances, according to an ICPA release.