As the agitation by protesting AI pilots entered the fifth day today, senior pilots send a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking to be involved in sought to end the worsen crisis.
In their letter to the chairman and managing director of AI and PM, the agitator pilots said their demands for training on Dreamliner were genuine. They requested PM to look into matter.
In early morning, 16 international flights of Air India carrier have cancelled originating from Delhi and Mumbai. Around 71 pilots have been sacked by the Air India management upto this time.
Taking strict action, Management asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to cancel the licenses of 11 office bearers of the IPG who have been sacked.
Standing with order, the IPG wants to talk with civil aviation minister Ajit Singh who asked the pilots to return to work with assurance that their demands will be heard.
Since Tuesday, more than 200 pilots protesting via agitation in support of the Indian Pilots’ Guild against AI while the aviation ministry refused to fulfill their demand of rescheduling of training on Dreamliner related to career progression.
To improving the operational efficiency, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regulator advised “inordinate fare hikes” and capacity rationalization.
Eliminating fact of increase burden of fare, EK Bharat Bhushan, director of the DGCA, said, “The advisory is to ensure that there are no inordinate fare hikes. There has been a correction in fares (in the recent past)” circulated among airlines on Thursday.
It has been said that along with hikes fare by 12% towards March-end, seeking the ongoing recovery of the aviation sector, the airline also plans another 8% hike on which the DGCA is now sought to prevent.
Beside regulator did not have any “instrument” to control fares, but hike fare expects domestic yields to rise 30% annually. Its effect directly put on airline as if fuel price going to be higher, it would become difficult for national carrier to further fares hikes without negatively impacting demand.
