Passengers continued to suffer and scheduled flights were cancelled as the Air India pilots' strike entered the eight day on Monday. Fourteen international flights were cancelled. More than 20 flights were cancelled on Sunday.

From Delhi, flights to Toronto, Frankfurt, Riyadh, Paris, Hong Kong and Seoul were cancelled on Monday. Passengers from Mumbai travelling to London, Riyadh and Newark were also affected.

The airline also cancelled at least four domestic flights that would have carried on as international flights. From Delhi, domestic flights to Mumbai, Amritsar and Hyderabad were cancelled. The Ahmedabad flight from Mumbai was also cancelled.

Meanwhile, the Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) said it was ready to talk with the management and civil aviation ministry. The IPG is the apex body of the Air India pilots which are spearheading the agitation.

“As the IPG is apprehensive of the role played by a section of management in sharing correct and complete information with the Aviation Minister, the core committee members of IPG today submitted documents containing factual information regarding issues at hand,” the pilots' body said in a statement.

The pilots clarified that there was no meeting scheduled, nor did the committee hold any formal or informal talks with the Minister of Civil Aviation or any other Ministry representative.

The IPG reiterated its stand and expressed its willingness to meet with officials of the management and the Ministry at “any place at any time in order to resolve the impasse”.

Meanwhile, agitated passengers tried to block the road outside the Mumbai airport on Sunday night and early this morning. The passengers claimed that no prior information was given to them by the Air India officials. CISF jawans were brought in to calm the situation.

>niveditag@thehindu.co.in

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