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Air India pilot strike leaves thousands stranded
Government-run Air India forced to cancel 48 flights and suspend bookings for many international flights, including US.
Last Modified: 10 May 2012 20:15
About 250 pilots from Air India are on strike, forcing the cancellation of 48 flights [AFP]
Thousands of people have been stranded at airports as pilots of Indias national carrier, continued their strike for the third day, leading to cancellations of many flights.
Air India, which normally flies 400 flights daily, including 50 on international routes, suspended on Thursday passenger bookings for flights to the US, Europe and Canada because of the strike.
"We are suspending booking of tickets for west-bound flights till May 15," K Swaminathan, Air India spokesman, told AFP news agency.
"There is no use of taking bookings if flights may not operate."
About 250 pilots from Air India are on strike, forcing the cancellation of 48 flights, NDTV, a local TV station reported.
The pilots have ruled out halting their protest even as a court in Delhi said the strike was illegal and ordered them back to work.
"We have tried speaking to the [aviation] ministry but they have not responded," Captain Tauseef Mukadam, pilots' union spokesman, told AFP.
Indias aviation minister has remained firm and refused to bow to pilots demands.
The airline, with 1,500 pilots on its payroll, has sacked 45 of the hundreds of striking pilots saying "their actions were illegal".
Swollen staff
The strike comes at a time when Air India is facing mounting problems due to rising fuel prices, competition from low-cost rivals and a record of labour disputes.
The airline has been losing nearly $2m a day, as it struggles with the legacy of a poorly executed 2007 merger, debt costs and a swollen staff.
The pilots are protesting unpaid salaries and what they say are a lack of opportunities.
They are protesting against a decision to train former Indian Airlines pilots, who moved to Air India when the two firms merged in 2007, to fly new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Airline management has decided that pilots from both carriers will undergo training on the new Boeing Dreamliner aircraft.
But Air India pilots have objected to this, saying it would hinder their career prospects. The first of four long-haul Dreamliner aircraft are expected to be delivered to Air India by June.
Meanwhile, pilots of Kingfisher airline have also started calling in sick over unpaid salaries.
The cash-strapped airline, owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, has been struggling to stay afloat despite massive debt.
India pilot strike leaves thousands stranded - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English
More heads roll as AI pilots dig in their heels
New Delhi, Fri May 11 2012, 01:27 hrs
Air India (AI) sacked nine more pilots on the fourth day of the strike today and moved the Supreme Court seeking criminal contempt proceedings against the leaders of the agitation for disobeying the court’s order that pilots from both erstwhile Air India and Indian Airlines should train on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Despite Delhi High Court declaring the strike illegal yesterday, the pilots said their agitation would continue. Eight international flights and at least six domestic flights, which would have continued as international flights, were cancelled today. Six flights of AI’s low-cost arm, Air India Express, were also cancelled.
Services from Delhi to Chicago, Frankfurt, Shanghai, Paris and Toronto, and from Mumbai to Jeddah, Riyadh and Newark were cancelled. Twelve international arrivals in Delhi were cancelled, according to the airport website.
AI claimed passengers were accommodated in hotels and put on other flights, but the relief did not appear to reach all passengers, who also complained of a lack of information.
The airline today stopped bookings for westbound flights until May 15. Passengers can postpone, advance or cancel their tickets for travel up to May 14 at no extra cost.
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said long-haul operations would remain affected for some time. “If they (pilots) are not willing to follow the court order, why would they listen to me,” he said. Singh reaffirmed the government’s willingness to talk.
The pilots today sought the intervention of Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“It is a matter of life and death and career for the pilots. The AI management did not honour its commitments,” Jitendra Awhad, president of the Indian Pilots’ Guild, the union heading the strike, said.
The agitating pilots don’t want pilots of the erstwhile Indian Airlines to train on the Dreamliners, the first of which is likely to be inducted this month. They want the exclusive right to fly all long-haul routes, including those on which the Dreamliners will fly, and travel first class when on duty.
In Parliament, the opposition accused the government of committing a series of blunders, including the AI merger, and expressed concern over private airlines raising fares to “fleece” passengers. (With PTI)
More heads roll as AI pilots dig in their heels - Indian Express
Government-run Air India forced to cancel 48 flights and suspend bookings for many international flights, including US.
Last Modified: 10 May 2012 20:15
About 250 pilots from Air India are on strike, forcing the cancellation of 48 flights [AFP]
Thousands of people have been stranded at airports as pilots of Indias national carrier, continued their strike for the third day, leading to cancellations of many flights.
Air India, which normally flies 400 flights daily, including 50 on international routes, suspended on Thursday passenger bookings for flights to the US, Europe and Canada because of the strike.
"We are suspending booking of tickets for west-bound flights till May 15," K Swaminathan, Air India spokesman, told AFP news agency.
"There is no use of taking bookings if flights may not operate."
About 250 pilots from Air India are on strike, forcing the cancellation of 48 flights, NDTV, a local TV station reported.
The pilots have ruled out halting their protest even as a court in Delhi said the strike was illegal and ordered them back to work.
"We have tried speaking to the [aviation] ministry but they have not responded," Captain Tauseef Mukadam, pilots' union spokesman, told AFP.
Indias aviation minister has remained firm and refused to bow to pilots demands.
The airline, with 1,500 pilots on its payroll, has sacked 45 of the hundreds of striking pilots saying "their actions were illegal".
Swollen staff
The strike comes at a time when Air India is facing mounting problems due to rising fuel prices, competition from low-cost rivals and a record of labour disputes.
The airline has been losing nearly $2m a day, as it struggles with the legacy of a poorly executed 2007 merger, debt costs and a swollen staff.
The pilots are protesting unpaid salaries and what they say are a lack of opportunities.
They are protesting against a decision to train former Indian Airlines pilots, who moved to Air India when the two firms merged in 2007, to fly new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Airline management has decided that pilots from both carriers will undergo training on the new Boeing Dreamliner aircraft.
But Air India pilots have objected to this, saying it would hinder their career prospects. The first of four long-haul Dreamliner aircraft are expected to be delivered to Air India by June.
Meanwhile, pilots of Kingfisher airline have also started calling in sick over unpaid salaries.
The cash-strapped airline, owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, has been struggling to stay afloat despite massive debt.
India pilot strike leaves thousands stranded - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English
More heads roll as AI pilots dig in their heels
New Delhi, Fri May 11 2012, 01:27 hrs
Air India (AI) sacked nine more pilots on the fourth day of the strike today and moved the Supreme Court seeking criminal contempt proceedings against the leaders of the agitation for disobeying the court’s order that pilots from both erstwhile Air India and Indian Airlines should train on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Despite Delhi High Court declaring the strike illegal yesterday, the pilots said their agitation would continue. Eight international flights and at least six domestic flights, which would have continued as international flights, were cancelled today. Six flights of AI’s low-cost arm, Air India Express, were also cancelled.
Services from Delhi to Chicago, Frankfurt, Shanghai, Paris and Toronto, and from Mumbai to Jeddah, Riyadh and Newark were cancelled. Twelve international arrivals in Delhi were cancelled, according to the airport website.
AI claimed passengers were accommodated in hotels and put on other flights, but the relief did not appear to reach all passengers, who also complained of a lack of information.
The airline today stopped bookings for westbound flights until May 15. Passengers can postpone, advance or cancel their tickets for travel up to May 14 at no extra cost.
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said long-haul operations would remain affected for some time. “If they (pilots) are not willing to follow the court order, why would they listen to me,” he said. Singh reaffirmed the government’s willingness to talk.
The pilots today sought the intervention of Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
“It is a matter of life and death and career for the pilots. The AI management did not honour its commitments,” Jitendra Awhad, president of the Indian Pilots’ Guild, the union heading the strike, said.
The agitating pilots don’t want pilots of the erstwhile Indian Airlines to train on the Dreamliners, the first of which is likely to be inducted this month. They want the exclusive right to fly all long-haul routes, including those on which the Dreamliners will fly, and travel first class when on duty.
In Parliament, the opposition accused the government of committing a series of blunders, including the AI merger, and expressed concern over private airlines raising fares to “fleece” passengers. (With PTI)
More heads roll as AI pilots dig in their heels - Indian Express
