Pilots union threatens legal action against Air India management

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), the union that represents 560 Air India (AI) pilots has threatened legal action if the management of India's national carrier goes ahead with plans to recruit 40 trainee pilots for the airline's international operations.
In a letter dated March 31 and addressed to the Chairman and Managing Director of AI, the ICPA has stated that as per the Memorandum of Settlement signed in July 2006 between the union and the management, it was agreed that their pilots “would fly up to 90 hours per month and 240 hours in a quarter.”
However, the ICPA says that at present, the base average for pilots of the National Aviation Company of India (Indian Airlines) — the holding company of the erstwhile Indian Airlines — had “dropped to about 60 hours per month and in some cases as low as 40 hours.” This, the ICPA says, is a clear indication that pilots belonging to the erstwhile Indian Airlines but who now fly under the AI banner after the merger of the two airlines, “were under-utilised.” These pilots primarily fly domestic routes and to neighbouring countries.
Citing this under-utilisation, the ICPA has written that “it would be prudent to redeploy pilots to various fleets (like Air India's international operations), depending on requirements rather than induct fresh trainee pilots which would result in additional financial expenditure.”
02/04/10 Ravi Sharma/Hindutsan Times

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Categories: NACIL Apr 2010