AI reinstates pilots who faced action during stir

Five days after pilots called off their strike, Air India management has finally reinstated its 15 pilots who were suspended or sacked for participating in the 10-day long stir.

Air India management had suspended six and terminated the services of nine pilots, including the leaders of pilot's body - the Indian Commercial Pilot's Association (ICPA) and executive pilots - for spearheading the indefinite strike.

Seeing no action on reinstatement of pilots by the management, ICPA General Secretary Rishbah Kapur wrote to Civil Aviation Minister Valayar Ravi seeking his intervention on the issue.

"We have revoked the suspension of six pilots and reinstated the services of nine terminated pilots last evening and some of them have been even put on duty also," an Air India official said on Thursday.

When asked about the five-day delay, he said various procedures have to be followed before reinstating a terminated pilot.

Air India pilots had called off their 10-day-old strike on May 6 after Government agreed to reinstate the sacked and suspended pilots, restore recognition to their union and look into their complaints of irregularities.

But, according to sources, there was delay in issuing reinstatement orders by the airline management as it was adamant on not reinstating the sacked executive pilots who had come out in support of their junior colleagues.

However, the management was ready to take back the pilots associated with the ICPA, the source said. Pilots even informed Prashant Sukul, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation about the alleged violation of the terms of the agreement on May 9 and had even written to Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav on the issue.