New Delhi/Mumbai: State-run Air India dismissed six pilots and suspended two others after a strike called by the Indian Commercial Pilots Association disrupted services in several cities. More than 650 of the airline's 1,500 pilots are on strike since midnight demanding better pay and work conditions.
"I have told them (the pilots) that their actions are unjustifiable and the behavior is not acceptable," civil aviation minister Vyalar Ravi told a news conference in Delhi. "The pilots are the most well-paid section (of the airline) and they should not be behaving like this when the situation is so grave."
Although the flag carrier has deployed 150 executive pilots to maintain services, it was forced to cancel about 50 flights on Wednesday for lack of pilots. The airline operates 320 flights daily on the domestic network. The civil aviation minister said he has allowed Air India Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Arvind Jadhav to take any measure to deal with the strike.
"I have given a free hand to the CMD to go ahead and show no mercy to anyone," he said. Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court ordered a stay on the strike in public interest. But the pilots' union said it would appeal against the stay in the Supreme Court.
"They can go wherever they want to go, I will do whatever I want to do," Ravi said. The agitating pilots were employees of the former Indian Airlines , which was merged with Air India in 2007. The pilots have since been demanding pay parity with Air India pilots and timely payment of salary.
28/04/11 Economic Times
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