Air-India on Monday chargesheeted 12 pilots, who were suspended two days ago, for their refusal to operate and 'abandoning' flights at various destinations.
"Chargesheets are being issued to the pilots, who have been suspended on April 26, and an officer is being appointed to initiate inquiry proceedings," A-I sources in Mumbai said.
The pilots have been suspended under clause 21 (i) (A) of the certified standing orders of the company, the sources said adding that they would be given 48 hours to reply to the chargesheets.
A total of 27 pilots have been suspended during the past two days for refusing to operate flights even as the airline is contemplating disciplinary action against 30 others, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the airline has sent letters to the three of the five retired commanders, who still hold valid licences for appointing them on contract, subject to their medical fitness.
Airline sources said the other two commanders were out of station and efforts were on to contact them.
The airline has also put in place the contingency plan under which all the Boeing 747 flights would be operated to Europe and the United States, while only 50 per cent of the Airbus A310 services would be curtailed leading to flight cancellations, especially to the Gulf region.
The cancellation of the flights have been done by ensuring minimum inconvenience to passengers so that they can be transferred to Indian Airlines and to other foreign carriers, an airline official said.
Air-India has cancelled its Dubai flight out of Delhi for Monday and Wednesday and passengers have been booked on a special IA flight. Monday's flight will leave at 11.45 p.m.
Tuesday's Muscat service has also been cancelled, the official added.
The government had on Saturday evening place under suspension 12 Air-India pilots after the Indian Pilots Guild refused to withdraw its directive on operating flights to SARS-affected countries.
"We have no other option but to adopt this measure as we cannot allow any employee to hold the airline and the public to ransom," the Air-India's public relation chief, Jitendra Bhargava, said in Mumbai.
On Sunday, Air-India said it will suspend more pilots for refusing to fly to SARS-affected countries.
"Letters of suspension are being issued to 15 more pilots on Sunday, in addition to the 12 who were suspended on Saturday," Jitender Bhargava, spokesman for the international flag carrier, told a news conference.
The Indian Pilots' Guild had asked its members not to fly to countries like Hong Kong and Singapore to reduce their chances of exposure to the flu-like virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, that has killed more than 300 people worldwide and infected over 5,000.
The move had forced the airline to cancel several flights to Southeast Asia.
Seven cases of SARS have so been reported in India.
Some doctors have expressed fears that SARS could spread rapidly in the country due to its congested cities and overstretched health system.
Additonal inputs: Reuters
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