Few weeks before it was the Jet Airway pilots and now it’s the turn of Air India pilots to go on for a strike. About 400 executive pilots of the state run carrier have involved in the flash strike to protest against the cut down of their flying allowance. It is said that Air India has cut down up to 50% of the pilot’s productivity linked incentives (PLI). It is also said that the pilots didn’t issue a strike notice earlier as the Air India management did not discuss with them before announcing cut down in their incentives. Indian Commercial Pilot’s Association has also called its all other members on Sep 30 for a meeting with Air India to sort out the rate disputes.

Capt V k Bhalla, representative of executive pilots said “The flying allowance has been cut by as much as 70 per cent while the management claims that the cut is about 50 per cent which is not true,” He also said “The pilots are so shocked after the cut in flying allowance that they are not in a frame of mind operate flights.”  Air India Spokesman Jitendra Bhargaya told to the media “We have not heard anything from the pilots (about the strike). They have gone to the media rather than coming to us. Air India management will do all to maintain normal flight operations to prevent any inconvenience to the passengers.” However, Air India has ensured the usual scheduling to its customers by making alternative arrangements. Air India and Indian Airlines combine operates 500 flights for transporting the passengers.
Aviation Ministry expresses its state to the pilots by saying “Today it is a question of survival for AI. If we cut costs and raise revenue, we survive. If AI-IA pilots who anyway earn much more than their private counterparts go on strike without giving us any notice and cause inconvenience to the public, it will become very difficult for the government to give any money to the airline. Then it’s curtains. So either everyone takes a graded pay cut as part of overall cost cutting or sits at home,” as the AI is already in a loss and have called out for an aid from the government earlier.