Air India's winter flight schedule hit by availability of pilots

July 15, 2012

airindia

New Delhi, July 15: The scheduling of international flights, including those to new destinations, which Air India will fly this winter has been affected as the fate of sacked 101 pilots is still hanging in balance.

The availability of the exact number of pilots is a crucial factor in deciding how many flights an airline would be able to operate.

"We are facing a peculiar problem right now. We know the number of aircraft we will have, but we still can't plan our winter schedule. This is because the management is yet to take a decision on taking back the sacked pilots," an Air India official told PTI.

A total of 101 pilots, owing allegiance to the Indian Pilots Guild, were sacked during the 58-day long strike that was recently staged over career progression and other issues.

The matter is also pending before the Delhi High Court.

"We don't know how many pilots would be available to us for winter schedule. Even if they are taken back, it will take about two to three months for them to clear all the necessary formalities and resume their active duty," the officer said.

"This suspense is also creating hurdles in announcing new international flights, like those to Melbourne, which we had planned very early. If the situation persists, then we would not be able to reap benefits," he said.

Maintaining that the pilots have to be informed at least a month before their scheduled date of operation for an international flight, he said the winter schedule, beginning in October, has to be cleared by aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The national carrier had been operating 38 out of 45 international flights as part of its contingency plan, which has been extended till August. These flights are being operated by about 120 executive pilots, who are in the management cadre.

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Agencies
February 11,2020

New Delhi, Feb 11: Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Tuesday said the party will review why it failed to meet its own expectations in the Assembly polls and saw a moral victory in the fact that the party's vote share has increased since 2015.

"Delhi must have given mandate after careful thinking. Our vote percentage has increased from 32 per cent to around 38 per cent. Delhi did not reject us and the increase (in vote share) is a good sign for us," he told reporters.

He said the BJP hopes that there would be less blame game and more work in the national capital and congratulated Arvind Kejriwal on his party's victory in the polls.

After winning the Patparganj seat, AAP senior leader Manish Sisodia accused the BJP of indulging in the politics of hate.

"We indulge in politics of development not politics of hate. We're against the roadblock in Shaheen Bagh as we were earlier," he said.

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News Network
June 20,2020

New Delhi, Jun 20: The government-imposed upper and lower limits on airfares may be extended beyond August 24 depending upon how the situation turns out, Aviation Secretary P S Kharola said on Saturday.

The government resumed domestic passenger flights from May 25 after nearly two months of suspension to combat the coronavirus outbreak, but placed lower and upper limits on airfares depending upon the flight duration.

It had said on May 21 that these limits would be in place for a period of three months.

"Depending on how the situation turns out, the fare band may have to adjusted beyond that (August 24) also. But right now, it is only for three months," Kharola said at a press conference here.

International passenger flights continue to remain suspended in the country.

However, the government started Vande Bharat Mission on May 6 to help stranded people reach their destinations through special flights.

Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said at the conference that during phase 3 and phase 4 of the mission, private domestic airlines have been approved to operate 750 international flights to repatriate people stranded amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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Agencies
February 11,2020

New Delhi, Feb 11: Senior Delhi Congress leader and national spokesperson of the party Sharmishtha Mukherjee alleged delay in decision making and lack of strategy and unity at the state level for the party's humiliating performance reflected in the Assembly poll results on Tuesday.

Mukherjee, president of Delhi Mahila Congress, stated that it was high time that the party takes some action. She added that she too was responsible for the Congress' poor show.

The Congress is on the verge of drawing blank again in the Assembly polls as all its candidates were way far behind their AAP and BJP opponents on all the 70 seats. In the 2015 Assembly elections too, Congress failed to win any seat.

"We r again decimated in Delhi. Enuf of introspection, time 4 action now. Inordinate delay in decision making at the top, lack of strategy & unity at state level, demotivated workers, no grassroots connect-all r factors. Being part of d system, I too take my share of responsibility (sic)," Mukherjee tweeted as the results came out.

She also accused the BJP of playing divisive politics while crediting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for playing "smart politics" as the results showed a clean sweep by the AAP to return to power.

"BJP playing divisive politics, Kejriwal playing ‘smart politics’ & what r we doing? Can we honestly say that we’ve done all 2 put our house in order? We r busy capturing Congress whereas other parties are capturing India. If we r 2 survive, time 2 come out of exalted echo chambers! (sic)," she said in another tweet.

The Congress contested the Delhi polls in alliance with the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD), fielding candidates on 66 seats and leaving four to its partner.

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