The Air India management on Tuesday sacked 10 of its senior pilots who flew
on international routes and derecognised the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), which
represents around 550 of the pre-merger AI pilots, after talks between the two
sides broke down on Tuesday.
The agitation might impact ailing AI’s rescue package from the government.
Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh, who okayed the crackdown, said the support
for the airline would get impacted if it did not perform
According to a union representative,
as many as 300 pilots did not report for duty. A top IPG office bearer said the
agitation would continue. “We plan to get in executive pilots to fly planes and
are also looking at merging flights for normalcy in operations. We had to
cancel only five flights and our operations will not be impacted further,” a
senior AI official said.
Adding: "We have derecognised
IPG and orders to seal its offices have been issued. An ultimatum has also been
issued to the pilots to report to duty by 1800 hrs (6 pm) on Tuesday or action
will be initiated.”
A no-show by the IPG-affiliated
pilots led to cancellation of flights on the Delhi-Toronto, Delhi-Chicago,
Mumbai-Newark and Mumbai-Hongkong via Delhi sectors earlier in the day. Later,
it cancelled flights to Singapore, Chicago and New York.
Minister Ajit Singh said the
agitation of the pilots was illegal. “They are reporting sick. They have not
given any notice for any strike. So, whatever the Air India management rules
and regulations, action will be taken accordingly,” Singh said.
Adding to Business Standard: “All
the money that the government has committed to the airline is conditional. If
the airline does not perform, no money will go to it. The (pilots) are trying
to kill the airline by agitating at a time when the airline had improved its
performance in the first four months of the calendar year. This is an illegal
strike and the action will be taken against the erring pilots.”
In fact, he told a news channel the
time for national airlines was gone and the government cannot and should not
run any service industry.
IPG was derecognised as a union in
2003, too, because of a refusal to fly to countries affected by the SARS virus.
It was again recognised after six years.
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SIBLING RIVALRY
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Air India cancelled five
international flights on Monday night/Tuesday morning, but more could follow
as 300 pilots did not turn up for work. At the heart of the issue are
promotions related to their rights to fly Boeings versus the rights of Indian
Airlines pilots to fly these aircraft.
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Background:
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In 2005, before the merger of Air
India and Indian Airlines into Air India Limited, Indian Airlines bought 43
Airbus aircraft. In the same year, Air India placed an order for 50 Boeings
(23 B777s and 27 B787s). Indian Airlines got the Airbus planes by 2010, and
only their pilots fly these.
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Of the 50 Boeings ordered by Air
India, 23 B777s have arrived. The 27 B787s will arrive in 2012. The
management wants to split the B787s between the pilots of Air India and
Indian Airlines.
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The pilots of erstwhile Air India,
represented by the Indian Pilots Guild or IPG, demand that the aircraft
ordered by Air India be flown by Air India pilots.
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Current Situation:
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The IPG filed a writ in the Bombay
High Court, seeking a stay on the training of the pilots of erstwhile Indian
Airlines on the B787s. The court ruled in their favour.
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The Supreme Court stayed the order
that restrained pilots of the erstwhile Indian Airlines to train on Boeing
787 planes.
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Air India Limited
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Total number of passengers flown:
40,000 per day
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Revenue:
Rs 37 crore
per day
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Domestic :
Rs 15 crore
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International: Widebody aircraft
(flown mostly by Air India pilots):
Rs 15 crore
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Narrowbody: Rs 7 crore
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The new battle began after the
erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots, who operated the Airbus fleet, were allowed
to go for training to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner last year . AI has ordered
27 Dreamliners and delivery begins this month. These planes would ply on
international routes. IPG pilots opposed allowing erstwhile IA pilots to
operate Dreamliners. Airline officials said the unionised pilots were willing
to drop their opposition to ex-IA pilots training for the Boeing 787 but wanted
management assurance on career progression and time bound promotions.
"Both AI and IA pilots are insecure about career progression. AI pilots
feel their chances have reduced by 50 per cent after the airline selected IA
pilots for the Dreamliners. We have to use our resources optimally and
decisions can't be dictated by career progressions of one section,'' a senior
AI executive said. The erstwhile AI and IA followed different policies on
training and promotion. Erstwhile IA pilots got the commander’s grade in about
six years; it took 10 years in erstwhile AI.
