New Delhi: Staying afloat is getting increasingly tough for fund-starved Air India by the day. The airline’s head of operations has called a meeting with off duty pilots in Delhi on Friday and Saturday “in view of high number of resignation of pilots (captains and co-pilots).” In the last one year 65 AI pilots have put in their papers and the airline has accepted 26 of those resignations. The airline spokesman said: “The resignations of pilots will not affect our operations. We have more than 1,700 pilots.”
However, the message sent by AI’s GM (operations) to pilots says: “In view of high number of resignation of pilots (P1 & P2), director (operations) would like to meet you all in person. Pilots who are available and are not rostered for flying duties are invited to meet the DO … ”
This meeting comes amid a flip flop by the government on the issue of giving sovereign guarantee to AI allowing it to raise loan of Rs 2,000 crore and keep flying till outcome of the government’s second attempt to sell off the Maharaja is known. While the panel of secretaries of different ministries had agreed to give that guarantee, the same is still awaited. AI has virtually run out of funds and is now finding it tough to continue operations.
Given the uncertainty surrounding the airline, employees are getting jittery. This Monday, the pilots’ union of erstwhile Indian Airlines, Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), had requested the aviation ministry to allow them to quit without serving notice period. “ … we are in no position to continue working with uncertainty looming large at AI ... We have never received our salaries and flying allowances on time in the recent past 2-3 years … we are facing severe financial constraints due to delay in flying allowance … many employees have defaulted on their loan and other payments,” the ICPA letter to Puri said.
27/12/19 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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However, the message sent by AI’s GM (operations) to pilots says: “In view of high number of resignation of pilots (P1 & P2), director (operations) would like to meet you all in person. Pilots who are available and are not rostered for flying duties are invited to meet the DO … ”
This meeting comes amid a flip flop by the government on the issue of giving sovereign guarantee to AI allowing it to raise loan of Rs 2,000 crore and keep flying till outcome of the government’s second attempt to sell off the Maharaja is known. While the panel of secretaries of different ministries had agreed to give that guarantee, the same is still awaited. AI has virtually run out of funds and is now finding it tough to continue operations.
Given the uncertainty surrounding the airline, employees are getting jittery. This Monday, the pilots’ union of erstwhile Indian Airlines, Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), had requested the aviation ministry to allow them to quit without serving notice period. “ … we are in no position to continue working with uncertainty looming large at AI ... We have never received our salaries and flying allowances on time in the recent past 2-3 years … we are facing severe financial constraints due to delay in flying allowance … many employees have defaulted on their loan and other payments,” the ICPA letter to Puri said.
27/12/19 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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