Thaindian News

New Delhi/Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) Trouble seemed to be brewing again for the national carrier Air India as over 100 pilots owing allegiance to the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), which represents pre-merger pilots of Air India, have threatened to resign over alleged discrimination by the airlines’ management.

“We, the loyal employees of Air India working for past several years feel cheated by management’s unfair and discriminatory decisions leading to a complete stall of our career progression,” said a letter sent Oct 29 to Air India’s chairman and managing director Rohit Nandan.

The letter seeks a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the pilots — who have not been selected among those who will undergo training for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner (to be inducted in the fleet by December) — to enable them resign.

“We are deeply pained by this discriminatory attitude that the management has adopted towards us vis-a vis-the pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines. Therefore, we are compelled to seek a NOC so that we may consider seeking employment elsewhere,” the letter said.

The trouble started when 64 pilots, 32 from IPG and 32 from Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), the union of former Indian Airlines pilots, were selected to undergo 787 training in the US, which starts in few days.

The IPG’s letter claims a collusion between ICPA which represents 1,400 pilots and the management in bringing about an artificial pilot shortage by transferring some of IPG pilots to Air India Express.

“These decisions and actions provide a windfall gain to the pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines at the expense of the career progression prospects of the pilots of erstwhile Air India,” the letter said.

Contacted for a response, senior Air India officials said that there is a resentment in the IPG for not getting all 64 slots, and that the management was looking into the issue.

“Yes, there is resentment. They wanted all 64 slots, as Air India before its merger had given the order for the 27 Boeing 787s,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.

The copies of the letter were also sent to Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi, Civil Aviation Secretary Nasim Zaidi and Regional Labour Commissioner, Mumbai.

Meanwhile, some aviation experts feel that the airline would not be able to handle the blow of another strike, and this will lead to its collapse.

“First of all, the decision for buying the 787s, or reducing the original order, all depends on the cabinet, going on strike for this issue is a no-issue. The airline will not be able to suffer another strike,” an aviation expert told IANS.

The airline suffered a 10-day-long strike which started in April this year, causing a revenue loss of Rs.150 crore as 1,600 flights were cancelled.