Now, unpaid Air India pilots warn of stir

NEW DELHI: A week after erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots, their Air India counterparts on Wednesday warned the government that many of them may not report to work from April 1, following huge salary dues. The AI pilots' union - Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) - has also warned DGCA that "under the current situation, it is very likely that the safety of AI's flight operations may be compromised, potentially endangering the lives of passengers." The regulator has been requested to mount oversight on airline operations to ensure safety - similar to how Kingfisher flies these days.

Highly-placed management and aviation ministry sources blame the government for not acting with urgency. "The airline does not have money and needs equity infusion from the owner, the government. The last group of minister's meeting happened early February and since then we are waiting for the date of the next meeting so that our fate could be decided. Saving Kingfisher seems to be the priority and we are not witnessing any urgency to save AI," said sources, adding, the airline may not be able to chug along after April if fund infusion does not happen.

The IPG letter says: "A large number of our members have informed us that owing to the psychological stress and bearing in mind the safety of passengers they will be unable to operate flights on and after April 1, 2012, unless the management clears all the dues." Like IA pilots' union - Indian Commercial Pilots' Association - IPG has also not given a strike call but left it to individual pilots to see if they can continue working without getting paid.

AI pilots claim that their dues now comprise of basic salaries from last December to February; layover allowance from December to March and flying allowance from last November to February - amounting to "withholding approximately more than a quarter of the yearly emoluments, causing tremendous hardship" to its members.