MUMBAI, India (NNN-Bernama) -- Four Air India international flights were cancelled from Delhi and Mumbai today after about 100 pilots refused to report for duty, Press Trust of India reported.
The airlines domestic operations, however, were unaffected.
An Air India spokesperson said that the four flights servicing the routes of Delhi-Toronto, Delhi-Chicago, Mumbai-Newark and Mumbai-Hongkong via Delhi were cancelled due to unavailability of pilots.
A number of Air India pilots owing allegiance to Indian Pilots Guild were reportedly agitated over the rescheduling of Boeing 787 Dreamliner training programme, while some had threatened to go on strike yesterday following the failure of talks with the Air India management.
"The management (Air India) has completely backtracked from what had been agreed upon in the last few days. We are left with no option but to intensify our displeasure," sources from the Indian Pilots Guild said.
The Guild expects the number of pilots going on strike to increase to 250 to 300 by tomorrow, indicating flights operations could be hit severely in the coming days.
Earlier, the management held a meeting with the pilots in New Delhi in its bid to defuse the crisis. A section of pilots reported sick on Sat May 5, resulting in cancellation of one international flight and delaying another two.
It is believed that during their meeting yesterday, the airline management told the pilots that they had "no reasons to go on strike" when the government had announced a bailout package for the national carrier.
In another report sent earlier BERNAMA reports:
OVER 100 AIR INDIA PILOT ON STRIKE, 200 MORE MAY JOIN
NEW DELHI, India (NNN-Bernama) – Over 100 Air India pilots are on strike since midnight last night affecting some of the airlines’ international flights and the number might swell to 250.
The strike could cripple Air India's international operations just ahead of the peak summer holiday season that begins this weekend, The Economic Times reported.
The flag carrier cancelled Monday night-Tuesday morning's Mumbai-Newark, Delhi-Toronto and Delhi-Chicago flights. Among longhauls, only Delhi-New York is expected to operate early on Tuesday morning.
The ministry, toughening its stand, has warned that it will shut international flights of the airline if the strike snowballs and will take strict action against the agitating pilots.
The English daily said the strike started minutes after their talks with the airline management and aviation ministry failed on the issue of training for the Boeing-787 Dreamliner.
Air India owes its employees US$23.5 million in salary arrears. --NNN-BERNAMA
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