Govt holds fresh round of talks with striking AI pilots

A fresh round of talks between government and striking Air India pilots to end the nine-day stir today inched forward with the agitators hoping that some remaining sticky issues will be resolved in the next few days.

After four hours of talks last night, another round of discussions held between the two sides remained inconclusive, though the agitators hoped that the issues would be resolved in a day or two.

"We met for four and half hours today. The government is making sincere efforts to resolve matters and has taken some serious steps forward. We are also giving our 100% to resolve the issues. We are hopeful that the matter will be resolved in a day or two," Rishabh Kapur, General Secretary of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), told reporters this evening.

Civil Aviation ministry officials were also optimistic that the deadlock would end soon.

After their parleys with Joint Secretary Prashant Shukul, the ICPA leaders, including its President AS Bhinder, also met Civil Aviation Secretary Nasim Zaidi for the first time since the talks began yesterday.

Refusing to elaborate on the points over which the talks are stuck, Kapur said "we will meet again tomorrow. We appreciate the efforts being made by the government. The talks are going on in a positive direction."

Sources said a major sticking point was the demand of the pilots, most of whom belong to the erstwhile Indian Airlines, for compensation of 75 'fixed flying hours allowance', which their erstwhile Air India colleagues get.

The PMO wants the strike to end soon and is understood to have impressed upon the Civil Aviation Ministry to take urgent steps to resolve the impasse. Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar has reviewed the situation arising out of the pilots' stir.

The ailing national carrier's services remained crippled for the ninth day with the airline managing to operate only 10% of its daily 320 flights.

Air India till yesterday transferred about 18,000 domestic and 9,000 international passengers to private and foreign carriers since the strike began nine days ago. Around 60 of its planes are grounded due to the strike, according to official estimates.

Besides pay parity, ICPA is seeking CBI probe into alleged mismanagement and corruption, withdrawal of flights from profitable routes and aircraft purchases.

Air India, which has sacked seven pilots and suspended six others, is facing an estimated operational loss of Rs 26 crore per day on account of the stir. The management has also decided not to process the April salaries of the agitators.

Delhi High Court on Tuesday slapped contempt notices on nine office bearers of the de-recognised ICPA for disobeying its order to call off the strike. It would take up the matter again on May 25.

The pilots are also demanding that all sackings, suspensions and transfers effected during the strike period be revoked, ICPA's recognition be restored, the contempt of court petition filed by Air India management be withdrawn and all other issues be tackled in a time-bound manner.