Govt defers phasing out of Indian Airline's IC code

New Delhi: As a last-ditch attempt to avert a strike by pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines (IA), phasing out of IA's IC code and having a common AI code for all flights of national carrier Air India has been postponed. IA pilots' body, Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), had last month threatened to take "any action" if the issue of pay parity with their AI counterparts wasn't resolved, while phasing out the IC code.
The code change was to happen by mid-February and now there's trouble due to delayed payments of January salary to all employees due to a cash crunch.
Last week, some pilot representatives met the new aviation minister Vayalar Ravi, who is learnt to have assured them that code change will be deferred for some time so that in the meanwhile some solution could be found to the problem.
"Merger of IA and AI happened about four years ago but there has been little progress on pay parity, a must to give a feeling that people work for the same company. Vayalar Ravi told pilots that he will meet employees and understand the issues involved to reach some decision in a fortnight.
In the meanwhile to avoid any unrest or industrial action, he told pilots that phasing out of IC to make way for AI code will be deferred for some time," said sources.
The new minister is meeting AI unions in Mumbai next week and then IA representatives.
09/02/11 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Categories: Air India Domestic Feb 2011, Air India Feb 2011