In a clear signal that there was no hope left for the
striking pilots, Air India (AI) on Wednesday announced its new international
plans, which not only include adding more flights but also hiring new pilots
from outside to fill the gap.
Under the new route plan, the carrier will start two new
flights to Kuala Lumpur and London and resume its Hong Kong, Osaka and Seoul
flights by August. Unveiling the AI's international plans, civil aviation
minister Ajit Singh said that “by November (when winter schedule begins), AI's
international operations will be further expanded. With this, the entire
original AI network of 27 stations shall not only be fully restored, but
expanded also.”
The airline had stopped flying to Hong Kong, Osaka, Toronto
and Seoul after the strike. The airline is planning to restore that in the next
few months. Hong Kong would be connected by a narrow-body Airbus A-319 from
July and this service would be extended to Osaka and Seoul from August.
Singh said the airline would soon get the delivery of three
Boeing 787 – the Dreamliners aircraft. The aircraft would be initially used for
domestic routes to train the pilots for landing and take-offs, after six-eight
weeks, it would be start flying to long-haul Mumbai to London and Australia by
August and September.
“The companies (Boeing and AI) have agreed to a
compensation, It will come up before the CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs) soon, following which we will get the Boeing 787. The aircraft will
help the airline to better utilise its international routes,” he said.
For the striking
members of Indian Pilots' Guild, who continued their protest even on the 30th
day, the doors have been completely closed. “As far as we (ministry and AI )
are concerned, the strike is over,” Singh said.
The carrier will come
out with new advertisements to hire about 100 pilots to fill the gap. Most of
the recruitment would be for co-pilots. It has also started the training of its
90 pilots, that would be able to fly by August. “We're making sure we have enough
resources - pilots and engineers to operate the new flights we have planned,”
Singh said. For pilots who have been terminated, he said, “they can apply fresh
once the ads are out.”
“If the (striking)
pilots don't accept Dharmadhikari report which is part of the airline's
turnaround plan, I don't think there is any point in their coming back....If
terminated pilots want to come back, they will have to apply afresh,” Singh
said.
AI has sacked 101
pilots so far. The IPG members, who staged silent marches in Delhi and Mumbai
maintained that they can't go back to the company without the assurance that
these members would be taken back. “What are we asking for, our career
progression. How can you blame some of the pilots for running the airline into
such huge losses? How can we join back unconditionally, leaving some of us
behind, when there is already enough indications that they (management) will
not take them back,” said one IPG member.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ajit-singh-shuts-door-on-pilots-says-air-india-strike-is-over/958546/2
No comments:
Post a Comment