Air India to unveil global biz plans today

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh briefs PM Manmohan Singh, Sonia on the national carrier?s new business plans

Air India, the national carrier, which is forced to operate38 of its 45 international flights due to the ongoing strike by pilots, will tomorrow announce its new business plans, including plans for operating the new Boeing 787 Dreamliners that are due to be inducted in a few weeks. Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Tuesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the plans for Air India.

The civil aviation minister also had a meeting with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. His party, the RLD, is an ally of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition.

With the Air India pilots strike completing a month tomorrow, Ajit Singh, speaking to Business Standard, said, “It’s evident that these pilots are not interested in working any longer. They’re off the payrolls.” Taking a tough stance against the ongoing strike, the minister said, “That episode (strike) is over. We are now focusing on new business plans, as there was so much concern about how we will carry on with our international operations.” Ajit Singh added, “Pilots who haven’t reported for work are obviously not interested (in their work) and not on our payrolls any longer.”

About 300 of the 900 pilots have been on strike and have refused to rejoin work even as the strike was declared “illegal” by the court.

While the national carrier’s international operations had come to a grinding halt some time back, it has now been able to resume some of its operations.

The cash strapped carrier has been granted a bailout of Rs 30,000 crore, but the striking pilots’ opposition to the Dharmadhikary Commission report has got the aviation ministry worried. The bailout package was concomitant with the implementation of the proposals of the commission’s report, according to officials.