AI pilots defy HC, go on strike

New Delhi: Hundreds of passengers were stranded across the country on Wednesday as over 70 flights were cancelled and scores delayed or combined on the first day of a strike by Air India pilots. The disruptions are set to continue after the pilots chose to ignore a court order asking them to resume work.
The 800 pilot-strong Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) of the erstwhile Indian Airlines decided to continue its stir despite the Delhi High Court asking them to call off the strike in the public interest on Wednesday. The union is likely to challenge the order before a larger bench of the court.
Terming the stir illegal, the airline management hit back by derecognising ICPA, sealing its offices, sacking six of its leaders including president Asheem Bhinder and general secretary Rishabh Kapoor and suspending two members who did not operate their flights.
Civil aviation minister Vyalar Ravi said ICPA’s action was “highly irresponsible” and added that the government had given a free hand to the management to deal with striking pilots. “A handful of pilots, the highest paid people in the country, can’t dictate terms at gun point. There is no question of agreeing to their demand of pay parity with AI pilots (in isolation) as a committee under a retired Supreme Court judge is examining the integration of IA and AI at all levels. AI has prepared a contingency plan to deal with the situation,” Ravi said.