Air India management has sacked eight pilots since yesterday

NEW DELHI About the ongoing Air India pilots’ strike, Civil Aviation Minister Vyalar Ravi briefed the Union Cabinet reiterating that his ministry fully backed the airline management’s tough stand against those on strike, according to sources.

Also since yesterday, the Air India management has sacked eight pilots.

Mr Ravi yesterday had stressed that Air India pilots are among the highest paid in the country. He reportedly pointed out that 1,600 Air India pilots drew a total of about Rs. 800 crore salary a year. And that another about Rs. 800 crore was the combined salary of the other over 28,000 employees of the airline.

According to sources, the minister told the Cabinet that he had taken a firm view of situation and that there were festering issues from the merger of Indian Airlines and Air India not being spelt out clearly.

Ravi had said at a press conference yesterday that the demands of the pilots’ union – the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) – could not be accepted. He had also appealed to the striking pilots to cooperate and help the airline come out of its crisis.

At least 50 flights have been cancelled and several delayed on the second day also. Both sides have refused compromise. Aviation Ministry, is firm and not in mood to change its decision and on the other side more pilots have joined the strike.