Pilots' strike: AI cancels 90 % flights; all eyes on HC

New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) Air India Monday cancelled 90
per cent of its domestic flights on the sixth day of the
strike by its pilots even as all eyes were now on the Delhi
High Court which will take up criminal proceedings against the
agitators.
"We have curtailed 90 per cent of our domestic
operations and plan to operate just 40 of the 320 daily
flights. This curtailment is likely to continue till the
strike is withdrawn," a Air India spokesperson said.
The airline management is sticking to its stand that
they would hold "no talks with the striking pilots till get
back to their work."
Pilots said they were open to the talks and will
withdraw the strike if the management gives them assurances
about the resolution of their grievances in a time-bound
manner.
With no side ready to budge from their stated
positions, all eyes are now set on the Delhi High Court which
will take up Contempt of Court proceeding against leaders of
Indian Commercial Pilot's Association (ICPA), including its
president Captain A S Bhinder and General Secretary Captain
Rishabh Kapur.
On Sunday, Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav sent an SMS to
all airline employees asking them to persuade the pilots to
return to work and the negotiating table, saying the issues
they were raising "occurred many years ago, for which the
current administration cannot be held responsible."
"Risking our airline's survival at this time is
criminal," Jadhav said in his SMS.
"We all condemn corruption in public life, and
culprits must be punished", AI CMD said, adding "all actions
spoken of (by the pilots) are unforgivable".
In Mumbai, pilots took out a candle-light march at
Gateway of India last evening demanding immediate ouster of
Air India Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav,
alleging that the management's unwillingness to invite them
for talks was a part of his hidden agenda to shut down the
airline and privatise it.
About 800 pilots, belonging to the erstwhile Indian
Airlines, have gone on strike. Of the total number of 1,200
pilots, 400 belong to the Indian Pilots Guild of the
erstwhile Air India, mostly operating international flights.
The ICPA has been demanding pay parity with their
Air India colleagues, better working conditions and demanding
withdrawal of sack orders against their leaders.
Since the strike began on Tuesday, the AI management
has sacked nine pilots including ICPA president A S Bhinder
and general secretary Rishabh Kapur besides suspending six
others.