New Delhi: Cash-strapped Air India, which is now unable to even pay salaries to its employees, could soon see an exodus of pilots. The union of erstwhile Indian Airlines' pilots has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to waive its rule that pilots must give a six-month notice to their employer before switching jobs. The DGCA had issued this rule in public interest in October 2009 to ensure that no airline's schedule goes haywire due to sudden resignation of pilots.
"With exhausted resources and no income, one cannot think of public interest as an employee (but) has to think about his/her family as well. All the employees are slowly but surely becoming insolvent by deferring on their payments... pilots and their families are undergoing immense mental distress and financial hardship. Also, this victimization could be a flight safety hazard," the Indian Commercial Pilots Association's (ICPA) letter sent to the DGCA on Tuesday says, while requesting for exemption from this rule for all AI pilots.
AI employees have not been getting their allowances (which in pilots' cases are almost 80% of their total pay) for months and even the basic salary for May has not been paid so far. Since the ICPA strike ended last month, over five pilots have already quit. A number of airlines, both foreign and a major Indian budget airline that operate Airbus A-320 aircraft, are eying IA pilots due to commonality of fleet.
16/06/11 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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