AI operations to normalise by Monday

Air India, crippled by a 10-day pilots’ strike, limped back to business on Saturday, with 65 of its 320 daily domestic flights taking off, up from 40 flights a day during the stir.

Air India, crippled by a 10-day pilots’ strike, limped back to business on Saturday, with 65 of its 320 daily domestic flights taking off, up from 40 flights a day during the stir.

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The airline is expected to resume 50% operations on Sunday and 100% operations by Monday, said an airline spokesperson. “We will post the changes in the schedule on our website,” the spokesperson said. The national carrier may be forced to operate empty flights initially, since people have lost faith in the airline, travel agents said.

The pilots’ strike, which began at midnight on April 26, grounded 90% of the airline’s domestic operations, inconveniencing thousands of passengers and leading to a sharp rise in fares across airlines.

Travel agents said airfares are likely to drop as soon as the airline resumes normal operations.