Third round talks on Friday, AI remains crippled for 10th day

Mumbai, May 6 (PTI) With two rounds of talks between the
national carrier Air India's striking pilots and the Indian
government failing to end the deadlock, both have agreed to
meet again on Friday, even as the domestic operations of Air
India remained crippled for the tenth consecutive day.
With the strike still on, the airline has grounded up to
90 per cent of its operations and has been operating around 30
flights a day besides some charter flights from Kingfisher and
Air Arabia.
On Thursday, the airline operated 18 charter flights, 16
domestic and two international using aircraft borrowed from
Kingfisher and Air Arabia, a company spokesperson, adding it
may continue to do so on Friday as well.
The civil aviation ministry on Thurdsay held talks with
the agitating pilots to find a way to break the ice following
the strike, for the second time. The talks, however, were
inconclusive.
The aviation ministry officials are also optimistic that
the deadlock would end soon. After their parleys with joint
secretary Prashant Shukul, the pilots also met aviation
secretary Nasim Zaidi for the first time since the talks began
on Wednesday.
The striking pilots are demanding that all sackings,
suspensions and transfers effected during the strike period be
revoked, Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA)'s
recognition be restored, the contempt of court petition filed
by Air India management be withdrawn, a Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged corruption and
mismanagement be ordered and all other issues be tackled in a
time-bound manner.
Air India has sacked seven pilots and suspended six and
the management has decided not to process the April salaries
of the agitators "till further instructions".
The Delhi High Court had on Tuesday slapped contempt
notices on nine office bearers of the de-recognised ICPA for
disobeying its order to call off the strike.