Govt promises action on report on Air India issues in 2 months

Lucknow/New Delhi, May 19 (PTI) As the strike by Air India pilots entered the 12th day, India's Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh today promised action in two months on a report which dealt with some of their problems and renewed his appeal to them to return to work. The fresh appeal came even as flights of the state-owned airline's subsidiary AI Express continued to be affected, though not severely. The airline's curtailed international flight schedules, however, operated normally, official sources said. "Dharmadhikari report(on merger of Air India and Indian Airlines into one as Air India) has come and it will be implemented in two months after having talks with them. Therefore at this time I will again appeal them to come back to work," Ajit said while talking to the reporters after inaugurating a new terminal at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. "We are making efforts to resolve the situation .... I will appeal to the pilots that they should think about the passengers," he said. The stir has already cost the ailing national carrier Rs 2.0 billion. The report is stated to have made suggestions like allowing pilots of AI and IA to be cross-utilized for all aircraft in the merged airline's fleet, while having different seniority criteria for them. It also reportedly suggested bringing about pay parity between employees of the now merged AI and Indian Airlines. The minister pointed out that the strike by AI pilots has been declared illegal by the Delhi High Court. "Whatever problems they have ... when Dharmadhikari report would be discussed talks will be held on all those problems, then there is no reason that they are observing strike," Ajit said. "They should come back on work .... Whatever their problems are, whatever their demands are, they all will be considered." The minister said his objective was to revive Air India. An average of six AI Express flights were being cancelled daily, but there was not much of a problem as the stranded passengers were being transferred to regular flights of the parent company to the Gulf and Southeast Asia, official sources said. With Ajit Singh offering unconditional talks once the striking pilots resumed duty, the Indian Pilots Guild has said it was ready to negotiate if the sack orders of 71 pilots were revoked. But official sources maintained it would be difficult to take back the IPG office-bearers or restore recognition to their union, noting that the courts had also declared the strike illegal. "The government has given a package of Rs 30,000 crore (Rs 300 bn) for the revival of AI, but money alone would not make difference it has to be competitive with the rest of the industry and for this it has to pay attention on its cost," Ajit said. He said AI's credibility, which was improving in the last three months, suffered a dent due to the ongoing stir. He also said it was a question of the survival of the airlines. "If the airline does not survive then there is no meaning of other things like salary, promotion or increment," he said. PTI