Mumbai: Air India cancelled five more flights early Thursday, day three of the ‘sick’ pilots stir that has seen the national carrier sacking 26 pilots so far, an official said.
Three flights from New Delhi and two from Mumbai to various destinations were cancelled while one flight – Jeddah-Calicut-Kochi sector – was rescheduled. The disruptions affected the entire Air India network.
The airline had Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court, which restrained the pilots from going on strike, termed illegal by Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh.
While the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), derecognised following the strike, has said it is open to talks, the government has made it clear that there would no negotiations till the pilots returned to work.
The airline has commissioned the services of reserve and senior pilots to carry on operations with minimum disruptions as the impasse continues.
IPG is opposed to pilots of the erstwhile Indian Airlines being given training for the four new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which Air India will start inducting from next month. Air India is estimated to be suffering a loss of Rs.10 crore per day, besides loss in passenger goodwill and international image at the height of the holiday season. (IANS)