Air India to be back in air gradually as pilots call off stir

Mumbai/New Delhi: Even as the Air India pilots ended their four-day stir on Wednesday, it will take a while before the airline resumes normal operations.
The airline will operate all long-haul flights from Thursday barring its two non-stop flights to New York from New Delhi and Mumbai. “The effective date of resumption of the flights will be taken once executive pilots, who have reported sick in the past few days, start reporting fit for duty,” said a statement.
For domestic operations, Air India has drawn up a flight restoration plan ensuring normal operations on trunk routes with immediate effect with others to be restored at “the earliest”.
Meanwhile, due to non-availability of pilots, 111 flights were cancelled in advance on Wednesday which will be “gradually reinstated”.
The agitation was called off after the Government’s ultimatum to the pilots on Tuesday to resume duty or face action from the management. They will be receiving their productivity-linked incentive (PLI) for August by October 7.
Earlier in the day, Captain V. K. Bhalla, representative of the protesting executive pilots, said, “The strike has been called off in view of the assurance given by the Civil Aviation Minister that status quo will continue on issues (PLI).”
30/09/09 Business Line

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Categories: Air India Domestic Sep 2009, NACIL Sep 2009