The Hindu Business Line : Delete Aviation Minister's name from petition : HC

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has asked a group of helicopter pilots to delete the name of the Civil Aviation Minister Mr Praful Patel from their petition.

The order was passed by a division bench of Justices R M S Khandeparkar and Amjad Sayyed asking pilot Pradeep Saini and seven other pilots to delete Mr Patel's name as he was not directly involved in the case regarding suspension of their license.

The pilots had moved the High Court, challenging suspension of their license for a month as they had resigned without giving six months notice as per the Civil Aviation Rules (CAR).

The pilots have said a letter dated June 5, 2008 stated that the Ministry of Civil Aviation along with Mr Patel has given approval to the Director General of Civil Aviation for suspension of their license.

According to the petition, Mr Saini, a retired officer from the Indian Army, had joined the services of Global Vectra Helicorp Ltd in Santa Cruz in July 2005.

Although there was no written agreement, Mr Saini, through an oral agreement, consented to render his service for a period of two years. Meanwhile, the DGCA in 2005 had issued guidelines that an action by the pilots including en-masse resignation as a co ncerted action, which would lead to last minute cancellation of flights and passengers being stranded would be viewed as an act against public interest inviting action under the CAR.

The CAR also prescribed that such pilots must give a notice of at least six months to the airline employing them before the resignation takes effect. - PTI

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