Centre rules out partial lockout of Air India due to pilots’ strike
April 30th, 2011 - 10:17 pm ICT by ANINew Delhi, Apr 30(ANI): Refuting media reports that Air India may be partially locked out due to pilots’ strike, Union Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi on Saturday said that chartered flights have been arranged to ferry stranded passengers.
When asked if the national carrier may be partially locked out due to the strike, Ravi said: “No, that is the media report. Nothing has been discussed like that. Some of them are on strike but we are trying to maintain, as much as possible, flights.”
About 130 flights were cancelled as nearly half of Air India’s 1,600 pilots continued their agitation for the fourth day. So far nine pilots have been sacked.
The airline has stopped taking fresh bookings.
“I have given instructions to inform international centres like New York, England everywhere that these are the connectivity available to them. These connectivities are available in coordination with private airlines also. We have stopped booking for the last two days. It means fresh passengers will come. Those who have booked already, they will be transported with existing flights as well as with chartered flights also,” said Ravi.
During the meeting with striking pilots, the minister assured to appoint a judicial committee to look into their grievances of salary hike, merger of erstwhile domestic Indian Airlines with Air India and other demands.
“I talked to them twice. Last time when I talked to them I told them very clearly that I can’t promise any monetary benefit at the moment because I can’t increase your salary. One section can’t alone make a salary increase because there are 14,000 workers,” Ravi said.
“So, I said ‘I will appoint Justice Dharmadhikari committee and they all agreed’. The committee … appointed, they will go into whole issue of integration, the issue of merger, other issues and salary pattern,” he added.
Over 660 pilots of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (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.
A day later, 200 executive pilots joined them.
The debt-ridden enterprise has suffered a loss of 260 million rupees due to the strike. (ANI)
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- Air India cancels 90 percent domestic flights on sixth day of pilots' strike - May 03, 2011
- 12 percent Air India flights cancelled as 600 pilots strike work (Third Lead) - Apr 27, 2011
- Air India to operate 160 flights by Monday - May 07, 2011
- Air India reinstates 15 pilots after 'illegal' strike - May 13, 2011
- Agitating Air India pilots intensify stir, blame Arvind Jadhav for financial losses - May 01, 2011
- Sacking of pilots right, can't hold Air India to ransom: Minister - Apr 27, 2011
- Pilots' strike: Air India to operate only 40 flights - May 01, 2011
- Air India works on contingency plan as strike drags on (Second Lead) - May 11, 2012
- Pilots strike: 12 flights from Mumbai cancelled - Apr 28, 2011
- Air India to give August incentive to employees - Nov 30, 2011
- Air India strike inevitable as talks break down - Mar 07, 2011
- Air India cancels 150 flights as pilots' strike continues (Lead) - Apr 30, 2011
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