Ajit Singh lines up new Air India summer flights

NEW DELHI: Virtually shutting the door on striking pilots, aviation minister Ajit Singh on Wednesday said they need not resume service if they didn’t agree with the Dharmadhikari report on integration of staff after 2007 AI-IA merger.
He also announced that AI services had stabilized and the airline would launch new flights as early as this summer besides resuming those cancelled due to the strike.
“As far as we are concerned, the pilots’ strike is over. If they don’t accept the Dharmadhikari report which is part of the airline’s turnaround plan, I don’t think there is any point in their coming back,” Singh said as the IPG strike entered its 30th day. “If the terminated pilots want to come back, they will have to apply afresh.”
Singh’s tough message, announced along with AI’s new expansion blueprint, came even as protesters held silent marches in Delhi and Mumbai demanding reinstatement of sacked pilots and re-recognition of the IPG.
The aviation minister brushed aside the demands. “The strike is illegal and must be ended without any precondition. AI services have stabilized. In the initial days (of the strike) there was some confusion…that even domestic flights were affected as AI now encompasses both international and domestic flights.
“Now it is back to carrying the pre-strike load of about 26,000 domestic passengers. On the international front, it is carrying about 11,500 passengers daily which is 2,000-3,000 less than the pre-strike period,” Singh said.
In fact, he stressed that AI was in a position to launch new flights, such as Delhi-Kuala Lumpur, this summer itself and would also resume flights on other routes cancelled due to the strike.
The big plans are for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, three of which are expected to join the fleet this month if Boeing and AI can agree on compensation for the delay in delivery. “For the initial six to eight weeks, the first aircraft will be used on domestic routes to enable trainees to practice landing and take-off. The first long-haul flight of the aircraft will be in August between Mumbai and London. Australia operations (on B-787) will commence in August-September,” Singh said.