NEW DELHI: The Delhi
High Court on Wednesday declined to hear the appeal filed by the striking Air
India pilots, challenging the Single Bench order, which had stayed the training
of pilots till the implementation of Justice Dharmadhikari panel recommendations.
A Bench comprising Chief
Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw made it clear that the
striking pilots had no right to get training on the advanced Boeing-777. “Let
them call off the strike. We will then hear the matter,” the Division Bench said.
The court also made it clear that the on-going training of the Air-India pilots
would not be disturbed.
“As long as the
Air-India pilots are on strike, the court is not inclined to hear the matter.
They cannot go on strike as well as get training simultaneously,” the order
stated. The Bench, while posting the matter for hearing in July, made it clear
that the pilots could file an application for hearing the matter if they called
off their strike.
And counsel for Air
India, Lalit Bhasin informed the court that staying the training programme
would result in a huge financial loss to the national carrier and the advance
flight would be grounded as well.
According to Air India,
some 200 commanders, chief pilots and 200 first officer co-pilots need to
undergo training on the Boeing-777, but presently only 64 commanders and 62
co-pilots were being provided the requisite training.
This prompted the Bench
to ask whether the Air India pilots were on strike and getting trained at the
same time.
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