E-Paper
Widows of AI pilots who died of Covid seek better compensation, employment
The national carrier lost five of its pilots apart from engineers and a senior dispatcher to the pandemic since it began in March last year
A forum of widows of Air India pilots, who died of Covid-19, has written to the national carrier’s chairman and managing director Rajeev Bansal seeking compensation and suitable employment for a member of each of their families. It said ₹10 lakh compensation is not even equal to the two-month average net earnings of the pilots.
In an email on Tuesday, Vidya Prasad Karmarkar, the widow of Prasad Karmarkar who operated Boeing 777 for Air India, requested the airline to grant the pilots Permanently Medically Unfit (PMU) grants as per the Air India circular of 2016.
Officials said under rules, there is no provision for declaring pilots PMU unless they personally appear before a designated medical board for a medical evaluation. But as per the circular, the airline’s medical board in cases of critical medical situations can declare a pilot PMU for compensation under this category.
Also Read | New UK travel rules amid Covid cause travel uncertainty: Airlines
Vidya Prasad Karmarkar said, “In almost all of the unfortunate deaths, the pilots have suffered Covid related multi-organ failure with them being in critical condition and abjectly poor prognosis, before giving up their individual battle against the virus. It is therefore clear that in such a critical medical state, the pilots could not have ever recovered and obtained the Air India Fitness clearance to appear before the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) designated medical board and declare PMU...”
She referred to employment to immediate family members of the pilots and added they have learnt about a policy in this regard being held in abeyance over the last few years.
“..However, an immediate one-time extraordinary exception needs to be invoked in view of this once in a century pandemic situation, which has virtually wrecked and uprooted our lives and our children’s future or whatever is left of it,” she wrote. She requested employment for an immediate family member of the pilots.
The national carrier lost five of its pilots apart from engineers and a senior dispatcher to the pandemic.
HT has reached out to the airline for comments. The copy will be updated once it responds.
