New Delhi / Mumbai May 11:
Air India is drawing
up a contingency plan that will see it operate seven daily flights to the US
through Europe.
The airline currently
operates 16 flights a day with large, wide-body aircraft used to fly to the US,
Europe, the Far East, and South-East Asia — all sectors affected by the
agitation by a section of pilots.
The airline will
operate the contingency plan using ecxecutive pilots who, because of their
seniority, not only fly but also perform some executive functions on the
ground.
Such senior pilots
cannot form unions and, therefore, cannot go on an agitation or strike.
The airline also plans
to wet lease some aircraft so that it can operate 4-5 more daily international
flights, the airline's Commercial Director, Mr Deepak Brara, told newspersons
on Friday.
“The contingency plan
of operating seven daily flights should kick in late morning Monday or Tuesday.
We will look to operate these flights through either London, Paris or
Frankfurt. The timing and routing of these operations will be announced soon,”
Mr Brara said.
Wet lease
Officials claimed that
Air India has sent out about 300 e-mails to wet-lease aircraft and received 12
offers. A wet lease involves acquiring an aircraft with crew.
Air India proposes to
lease the aircraft for the “shortest possible time.” Officials admitted that
leasing an aircraft for a short period will be a costly proposition.
These steps are being
worked out as the agitation by sections of pilots has thrown the airline's
normal schedule out of gear. On Friday, the airline cancelled six flights from
Delhi to Toronto, Paris, Frankfurt and London. From Mumbai, the flights to
Newark and London were cancelled.
The pilots' agitation
is causing a revenue loss of Rs 10-12 crore a day, officials indicated.
Kingfisher
Meanwhile, Kingfisher
passengers got a reprieve after the pilots called off their strike. On
Thursday, the airline's Chairman, Mr Vijay Mallya, wrote to employees
threatening action against striking workers. Mr Mallya threatened to “act
firmly and decisively,” saying he will not allow a “small group of misguided
employees to derail and jeopardise operations”.
A section of KFA
pilots from Delhi and Mumbai did not report for work on Thursday to protest the
non-payment of January salaries.
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