Pilots’ strike: Air India operations thrown into disarray

Air India operations were thrown into disarray with nine flights including the Mumbai-Newark, Delhi-Chicago, Delhi-Toronto and Delhi-Hong Kong-Seoul and Mumbai-Hyderabad-Jeddah flights being cancelled.

All these flights except for the Mumbai-Hyderabad service were to have operated on Monday night.

Sources told Business Line that at least four domestic flights, which continue onwards as international flights, the Delhi-Hyderabad-Delhi, Delhi-Amritsar-Delhi, Delhi-Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Ahmedabad-Delhi, were cancelled on Tuesday because of non-availability of pilots.

Crew availability

“We get to know about availability of crew about four hours before the flight is to depart as that is when the crew is picked up for operating the service. Contingency plans are being drawn up,” the sources said.

The possibility of the agitating escalating cannot be ruled out, the sources indicated.

Management decision

Worried at the situation, the management is expected to meet with sections of pilots later today.

Sections of Air India pilots are agitating against the management decision to allow pilots of the erstwhile Indian to also fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft which is to be inducted into the fleet later this month.

On its part, the Government is taking a serious view of the situation.

Official sources maintain that the highest levels in Government are unwilling to allow the current situation to continue especially as a Rs 30,000-crore package for Air India has been approved by the Cabinet.