Strike by Air India pilots was called off late on Friday night. The strike ends after a 10-day standoff between the government, Air India management and pilots. Indian Commercial Pilots Association (IPCA) said all the striking pilots sacked and suspended are being reinstated.
All pilots will go back to work after 10 pm on Friday. Over 800 pilots, belonging to the erstwhile Indian Airlines and owing allegiance to the Indian Commercial Pilots Association, as also executive pilots, will return to work on Sunday night, Capt AS Bhinder, the association president told reporters. Emerging after five hours of tough negotiations with the Civil Aviation ministry officials, Bhinder along with ICPA general secretary Rishabh Kapur said all the pilots sacked and suspended during the stir would be reinstated.
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 wanted 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 K M Chandrasekhar has reviewed the situation arising out of the pilots' stir.
» Read Complete News.....(You need to login first to read complete news). New User? Register for FREE!
» Back to Travel News