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New Delhi, May 1(ANI): The simmering row between the pilots and the management of Air India boiled over on Sunday after the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) blamed the carrier’s chairman, Arvind Jadhav, for the heavy financial losses incurred by the organization.

Addressing a news conference in New Delhi, Ashok Khadia, a pilot and an ICPA member, slammed Jadhav with scathing sarcasm, asserting that he was not keen to resolve the deadlock due to the fear of being ‘exposed’.

“Mr. Arvind Jadhav, when he came, he said I will turn around the company. He said it to all of us, he came on TV, he gave statements that he would turn around. What turn around he did? From Rs.475 crores, now it is Rs.16,000 crores of losses. Who is responsible for this? Not we pilots. It is he who is responsible,” Khadia said.

“Now, he is adamant, the only reason of being so rigid is that he knows if he is exposed, he will be brought to justice and punished. The only way for him is to pass the blame on all we pilots,” he added.

Over 800 pilots of the ICPA, who belonged to the Indian Airlines and were employed by Air India after the merger of the two carriers in 2007, have been on an indefinite strike since April 27 demanding pay parity.

The primary demands of the protesting pilots are pay parity and an inquiry against corruption and mismanagement in the Air India administration.

However, the Air India management has come down on the ICPA with a heavy hand, ruling out any negotiations on their pay parity demand.

The management had also warned the pilots that if they did not comply with the ultimatum, then the Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA) could be invoked against them.

Stung by the increasing government pressure against their stir, Khadia maintained that though the pilots wanted to resolve the issue through talks, the management was not keen to end the crisis.

“We have not received any message from the management for any kind of talks whatsoever. Though we have tried from all our channels, whatever channels we have, but there is no response from that side. We all thought over it, yesterday also we had a couple of meetings, that what could be the reason,” Khadia said.

“We are trying, none of us are happy to sit at home or here in the scorching heat. Instead, we want to fly our aircraft to bring this company out of debt. What could be the reason? What is so secret that lies with the management that they do not want to talk to us?” he added.

The protesting pilots have refused to return to work, ignoring the stern warning and the Delhi High Court’s order to initiate contempt proceedings against them.

Meanwhile, thousands of passengers continued to suffer as over 130 flights have been cancelled and the booking counter of Air India has been closed for the next few days.

Defending the pilots’ decision to continue their strike, Khadia asserted that if Air India was to shut down, the private operators would hike the already skyrocketing fares.

“Suppose this company locks down, what will happen tomorrow? These fares, which are rising sky high, Rs.6,000, Rs.7,000, Rs.16,000, everybody will have to fly for Rs,16,000. This Air India will be dissolved and finally it will benefit all private beneficiaries,” he said.

The ICPA claims that while Air India pilots enjoy a huge fixed salary component, the same is almost minuscule for former Indian Airlines pilots after the merger of the two airlines in 2007.

The association claims that while their entire pay package depends on the hours they fly every day, the airline has been curtailing the number of flights by 30 to 40 percent. (ANI)