100 AI pilots want out, 10 overseas flights hit

In a move that could dent national carrier Air India's operations, more than 100 of its pilots have threatened to quit, charging the management with "cheating" and taking "discriminatory decisions". Tushar Srivastava reports.

In a move that could dent national carrier Air India's operations, more than 100 of its pilots have threatened to quit, charging the management with "cheating" and taking "discriminatory decisions".

HT Image

These pilots belonged to the erstwhile Air India (AI) before the merger with Indian Airlines (IA) in August 2007. The trigger for the resignation threat is the management's decision to allot half of the 64 slots for training on Boeing 787 Dreamliners to erstwhile IA pilots. This was first reported by HT last Friday.

The pilots, affiliated to the 450-member Indian Pilots Guild, said in a letter to AI chairman and managing director Rohit Nandan, "We are deeply pained by this discriminatory attitude that the management has adopted towards us vis-à-vis pilots of erstwhile IA. We are compelled to seek a no-objection certificate so that we may consider seeking employment elsewhere."

"We feel cheated by management's unfair and discriminatory decisions leading to a complete stall of our career progression," the letter said.

An AI spokesperson said talks were on with the pilots.