Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) National carrier Air India cancelled close to 165 flights, affecting its international operations as well, as nearly half of its 1,600 pilots continued their strike for the sixth day Monday. The pilots union again ignored the Delhi High Court’s directive to call off the strike.

Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi, striking a tough note, said the government would talk to the striking pilots only if they end their agitation and report to work.

“We will not start a talk until they end it (strike). We will also follow the court’s order,” Ravi told reporters here.

Speaking on the Air India strike, an official with the operational arm of the airline said: “We are operating around 60 flights on our entire domestic network today. Around 165 flights were cancelled due to the strike.”

According to the official, the flag carrier’s international operations were also affected with the cancellation of 43 flights bound for foreign destinations like London, Dubai and Kathmandu.

Thousands of stranded passengers across the country were also upset with the steep 50-75 percent hike in fares being charged by private airlines.

According to the official, 100 domestic flights of Air India’s subsidiary Alliance Air were being run.

“Only the operations of Air India’s main domestic arm are effected. Our subsidiary Alliance Air is still active with 100 flights on the national network,” said the official.

He said the airline had since Thursday adopted a reduced operations plan and hired Kingfisher Airlines’ Airbus aircraft to lessen passenger load. Under the new operations plan, the airline will fly fewer flights and only use wide-bodied aircraft.

“Currently, our operations are going on smoothly. As we have stopped ticket bookings till May 4, passenger loads will also come down and we will be able to tide over this period,” the official said.

The Delhi High Court Monday started hearing criminal contempt proceedings against the office bearers of Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) for continuing their agitation and ignoring a stay order on the strike.

“When the court passed the order to restrain the strike from April 29 onwards, then you should have followed it. We can’t allow the undermining of the institutional order,” said Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Veena Birbal of the Delhi High Court.

The court Monday asked the pilots to call off their strike immediately, terming it as a disservice to the nation.

“By your act of agitation, you have caused loss to the nation,” said Justice Ahmed, asking the pilots: “Is it worth that thousands should suffer, just due to eight persons. Do you think the public opinion is with you?”

Ignoring the court’s plea again, the agitating pilots refused to call off the strike until their demands are fulfilled, but showed some willingness to resolve the matter if Air India’s management takes up the issues within 24 hours.

“We will immediately call off the strike if the management takes up two of our demands - of restoring recognition status of ICPA and re-instating the sacked pilots,” counsel for the pilots’ union informed the court.

The court will take up the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.

If found guilty by the court, the top brass of the union face a possible six-month jail for contempt of court.

The court of Justice Gita Mittal Friday initiated criminal contempt of court proceedings against members of the ICPA, the union behind the strike and whose members were on the payroll of the erstwhile Indian Airlines.

Air India has some 1,600 pilots on its rolls and operates some 320 flights daily.

Meanwhile, thousands of stranded passengers across the country were forced to shell out high fares for bookings on other private airlines, which have increased their ticket prices.

In the Delhi-Mumbai sector, some passengers complained that the base fare of Rs.2,400-Rs.3,000 for last-minute bookings has been jacked up to as much as Rs.7,500 by some carriers, resulting in a one-way cost of Rs.11,500, including various levies.

Taking note of the sharp increase in air fares and the hassles being faced by the AI passengers, aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed private airlines not to take advantage of the strike by hiking air fares.

“They have been told not to hike air fares above the maximum limit of the price brackets which are on all the airlines websites for passengers’ convince. This also applies to any last-minute booking, it is illegal and wont be allowed,” E.K. Bharat Bhushan, director general of DGCA, told IANS after his meeting with the management of private airlines.

Earlier, the DGCA had directed all airlines to maintain a list of air ticket price brackets and to publish these on their websites and in national dailies.

The DGCA granted private airlines’ permission to operate flights on some of the routes where Air India operated before the pilots’ strike to lessen the impact of flight cancellation on passengers.

Bhushan said the airlines will submit their new flights plans by Tuesday.

Air India has a domestic market share of 16 percent.