New Delhi/Mumbai/Amritsar, May 9: Hundreds of passengers in several airports across the country bound for foreign trips faced woes as Air India cancelled its international flights after a section of pilots went on a flash strike since Monday.
More than 150 pilots have not reported for duty since Monday, throwing the entire international flight schedule haywire.
Outbound passengers in Delhi, Kerala, Mumbai and Amritsar are facing difficulties as their flights have been abruptly cancelled by Air India management.
Air India has cancelled 13 international flights, that include eight flights to the Middle East on Air India Express. Four of these flights were to take off from Kerala. Kozhikode-Dammam flight IX 381 and Kozhikode-Dubai flight IX 343 have been cancelled.
The Air India Pilots Guild, which has been derecognized by the management, has been demanding promotion for pilots and change in training schedule for dreamliner Boeing 787 aircraft.
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said, it was now up to the pilots to decide whether to run the company or to close it down.
Ajit Singh termed the strike as illegal and said the government can also shut the airline. He told the striking pilots that they should first decide what they want -- either keep the national carrier afloat orshut it down.
"We cannot keep pouring money to keep Air India afloat,"Singh said.
Three international flights of Air India were cancelled from Delhi and Mumbai on Wednesday as the agitation by a section of pilots entered the second day today.
"Two flights from Delhi to Singapore (AI-380) and to New York (AI-101), while one from Mumbai to Newark (AI-191) are cancelled today. All other international flights are operating as we have made a contingency plan with the available pilots," an Air India spokesperson said.
Around 200 Air India pilots owing allegiance to Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) had reported sick yesterday resulting in cancellation of at least 13 international flights. The pilots have been protesting against rescheduling of Boeing 787 Dreamliner training.
Worst affected were the passengers, who alleged that they were not being informed about the cancellation of their flights in advance. They also alleged the airline staff were not cooperating nor they were providing any information about their flight or any alternate flights.
Some of the passengers, who checked-in their luggage and also got their boarding passes had to wait for hours to get back their luggage.
Cracking the whip, Air India management had yesterday sacked 10 agitating pilots and derecognised their union.
