'Indian' to take off again, strike called off

NEW DELHI: Ground staff at state-run airline Indian called off a strike on Thursday that caused more than two days of chaos at airports nationwide as flights were cancelled, a report said.

Media said the strike, which stranded thousands of passengers, ended after the union agreed to talks over demands for higher wages.

"Flight operations will return to normal in a few hours time," Civil Aviation Secretary Ashok Chawla told media.
Late Wednesday, the Delhi High Court declared the strike illegal and ordered the 12,000-strong union to resume work.

The court order followed a warning by Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel that unless the workers returned to their jobs the government would be "forced to take stern steps."

Indian operates mostly on domestic routes but does fly to destinations in Southeast Asia and the Gulf.
In February, the government approved a plan to merge Indian with state-owned carrier Air India, the international flagship, in a bid to compete better in India's booming aviation sector.

According to recent estimates, Indian -- the country's sole domestic carrier about a decade earlier -- has dropped to third place with 21.5 percent of the market as new private high-end and budget carriers moved in to offer cheaper fares and newer aircraft.