Air India strike losses to cause delay in staff's salary payments

NEW DELHI: The losses caused due to the 18-day long pilots' strike will cause thousands of other Air India employees to wait longer than June for their pay arrears. Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh on Friday, in his first meeting with the agitating Air India pilots, told them that their industrial action could jeopardise the pay arrears promised to be paid in June.

"You went to war and you have to accept the casualties. AI will not be in a position to clear salary dues, pending since February, in June as promised earlier. So, you have to bear the losses caused due to your action," Singh told mediapersons. The agitation has caused daily revenue loss of around Rs. 12-15 crore for the airline, which is already saddled with losses of about Rs. 20,000 crore.

The minister also said that the pilots' strike, which has disturbed the overseas operations of carrier in a major way, has given the airline a chance to get rid of loss-making international routes. "We may withdraw flights like Delh-Toronto and others where we don't recover costs. We may also hire new pilots if need be," Singh said, without divulging if he has given any deadline to the agitating pilots to rejoin.