Mumbai: With Air India pilots not budging from their position, their agitation entered the sixth day
on Sunday leading to cancellation of 20 international flights, causing inconvenience to the hundreds of passengers. “Pilots have not reported for work. We had to cancel 20 flights from Delhi and Mumbai,” an Air India official said.
Hundreds of passengers were stranded following the flight cancellations.
The passengers alleged they had not been given the refund by the airline against their booked tickets after the cancellation of the flights.
The airline management has sacked 71 pilots and also sought cancellation of the flying licenses of 11 office- bearers of the Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG), which is spearheading the agitation.
DGCA had on Saturday issued showcause notices to 11 pilots of the IPG after the airline management sought cancellation of their flying licences.
Over 200 pilots owing allegience to IPG are on strike since Tuesday, badly disrupting the international operations of the national carrier. The airline has also suspended its bookings for international flights till May 15.
The agitation, which has already been termed as illegal by the Delhi High Court, is against the airline’s decision to send pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines for training to fly Boeing 787 aircraft.
The Delhi High Court had also issued orders, restraining the pilots from continuing with the illegal strike and reporting sick or staging demonstrations of any kind.
It categorically stated that the agitation has caused irreparable loss and injury to the name and reputation of the company apart from financial loss.
Despite this,the pilots have continued this illegal agitation aimed at pressurising the airline to concede to their demands.
Air India regrets the inconvenience being caused to its passengers and has been making all out efforts to operate a skeletal schedule to minimise inconvenience to its passengers who have also been endorsed to other airlines as far as possible, a release by Air india said. (UNI)