Stand-off ends: Air India agrees to inform its pilots about weekly offs

At least four Air India pilots were served show cause notices for refusing flight duties even as the airline’s main pilots’ union maintained that they followed the printed roster.

The deadlock between the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) and the management of Air India (AI) ended on Tuesday evening after the airline management agreed to put out rosters that mention pilots’ weekly offs, said an ICPA member.

Flights were delayed and cancelled due to absence of pilots. (HT Photo)

Air India had issued show-cause notices to four pilots for refusing flight duty resulting in many flights either being cancelled or delayed.

Read: Air India pilots will shun duty to protest lack of weekly offs

Last week, the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA), a union comprising more than 800 AI pilots, had told its members to turn down flight duties that are not published on the roster. It argued that globally, airlines publish monthly rosters specifying weekly offs and days when pilots are put on spare.

“This enables smooth operations and pilots get to plan their time with family,” said a senior union bearer.

He added that the show-cause notices issued to the pilots were illegal.

While the AI’s automated roster issues short rosters, it does not specify a pilot’s weekly off, it said.

The union met Captain Arvind Kathpalia, AI’s executive director, operations, on Tuesday.

“We reached an agreement after the Air India’s CMD’s intervention,” said the member, adding that the union will not reject flights.