The recent pilots’ strike at Air India puts further cast over the fate of the national Indian carrier.
DELHI- The 58-day long pilots’ strike at Air India not only damaged a little bit more the reputation of India’s national carrier. It also worsened the financial position of the airline which recorded a loss of around US$ 108 million according to Ajit Singh, India’s Minister for Civil Aviation. “The total loss of revenue already caused to Air India due to prolonged strike by the pilots is approximately Rs 600 crore [US$ 108 million],” he told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
He said a section of Air India pilots represented by Indian Pilots Guild started reporting sick from May 7 this year, in protest against the management’s decision to train Indian Airlines pilots to fly the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Indian Airlines is India’s domestic carrier and merged in 2007 with Air India in a bid to create an Indian air giant capable to compete internationally. But so far, the merger has been a failure as Air India management has not been able to rationalize the airline.
The strike also forced Air India to cut its frequencies by restructuring its operations. The airline currently operates only 39 of its 46 flights overseas. Air India restructured its operations and operate 39 international flights against 46. Air India took action against the pilots. The Pilots Union has been declared illegal within the airline while 98 pilots have been fired. The Minister indicated that the airline is also preparing a Voluntary Retirement Scheme for its employees. Such a situation is of course complicating the relation of Air India’s management with its employees. It is not excluded that new actions might take place. Despite being India’s national carrier, Air India is today one of the most fragile airlines in the country. Plagued with problems, Air India lost last year US$ over a billion Us dollars and pulled out of Star Alliance’s integration process.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
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