Resume work or face action: Patel to AI pilots

'Mr Jadhav is a confused man and that is the problem,' says pilots' representative.

In a veiled threat to the executive pilots of Air India, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel today urged them to report for duty by midnight or face whatever action the management thought fit to take against them.

The pilots, however, said they will not rejoin duty till their demands — to roll back the cuts in productivity pay and release their dues — are met.

The airline has, meanwhile, opened two facilitation counters at the Delhi airport and has asked travellers to check the status of their flight beforehand.

As many as 188 of Air India's 319 executive pilots, who account for about a quarter of the state-owned airline's total pilot strength, have stayed away from duty since Friday midnight, protesting against the management's decision to slash productivity pay as a cost-cutting exercise. The airline is facing losses of Rs 7,200 crore this year as a result of the fall in air travel.

Patel's statement followed his meeting with Manmohan Singh and a separate meeting that Air India Chairman Arvind Jadhav and Aviation Secretary M M Nambiar held with the prime minister.

The airline was forced to cancel over 150 flights (out of over 400 flights) today, impacting over 8,000 passengers across the country.

The crisis has grown acute, with 50 executive engineers joining their pilot colleagues. As a result, 11 international long-haul flights were also cancelled today.

Air India has a domestic market share of 16.6 per cent and a 36 per cent share of international flights from India.

Speaking to reporters, Patel also said the proposed cuts have not been implemented and productivity linked incentives (PLI) for July were paid in August, so only the August payments are pending.

On Sunday the Air India management issued an order saying that the PLI cut for executive pilots will only be finalised after discussions with a committee of pilots.

V K Bhalla, who is leading the exeuctive pilots' protest, declined to say whether the pilots would heed Patel's warning but accused Jhadav of misguiding the minister. “The minister said PLI for July has been paid. We can display our bank records to show that we have not received any PLI at all. Mr Jadhav is a confused man and that is the problem” he added.

Unlike the chaos during the Jet Airways pilots' sick-out, fares did not rise sharply, especially after the government met private airlines today and extracted an assurance to this effect.

But Bhawana Aggarwal, co-founder of on-line portal Yatra, warned, “Fares of private airlines haven’t risen yet. But if the protest continues, fares may be impacted substantially with demand exceeding supply.”

On his part Jadhav categorically ruled out plans for a lock-out but said the airline was losing Rs 30 crore of revenue a day as a result of the pilots’ protest.

The option of a lock-out was, however, discussed in government, said sources close to the development. Those supporting the move said it would offer the airline’s management an opportunity to re-negotiate wage and creditor agreements.

Those who opposed the move were conscious of the political fall-out given that Assembly elections are due soon in Maharashtra, Patel’s home state.

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