01 May,2011 06:42 AM IST | | Bipin Kumar Singh
ICPA asks government and Sonia Gandhi to intervene and order an enquiry, losses touch Rs 25 crore
There seems to be no end in sight to the Air India pilots' strike. On the fourth day of the stir, the pilots remained firm on their demands ofu00a0 sacking Chairman & Managing Director Arvind Jadhav and ordering an enquiry into the alleged mismanagement of Air India. The government, however, did not budge, remaining silent.
Rishabh Kapur, General Secretary of the ICPA , at a press conference
held on Saturday. Pic/Vishal Yadav
Air India pilots announced a 'lightning' strike on April 27, demanding pay parity with pilots of the erstwhile Indian Airlines, as well as a CBI inquiry into some of the airline management's decisions over the past two years. So far, 820 pilots, including 160 executive pilots who have reported sick, and Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) members, are on strike.
"We are ready to resume work, but the management needs to discuss our demands. Till date, no one from the government or Air India management has come forward to discuss the issue. We are surprised with this reluctant attitude," said Captain Rishabh Kapur, General Secretary of ICPA, which is spearheading the strike.
The pilot union urged PM Manmohan Singh, UPA chief Sonia Gandhi and the Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi to intervene into the matter so that the strike can end and those responsible for the plight of Air India can be brought to book. "We request the PM and the UPA chief to order an enquiry so that the perpetrators are punished," added Kapur.
There are reports that Air India has hired four Airbus 320s from Kingfisher Airlines to ferry domestic passengers, which were not confirmed by Air India or Kingfisher officials. "I don't have any information with me right now, so I will not be able to comment," said a source from Kingfisher Airlines.
Meanwhile, thousands of passengers were stranded due to the stalemate. "I was supposed to be travelling to Delhi, but I came to know that my flight has been cancelled. I am at the airport since morning, but have not got any confirmation on the status of my ticket from Air India," Saurabh Shukla, a Delhi-based software engineer, lamented. The strike comes at a poor time for the national carrier, which has been reeling under losses since 2007.
Strike toll
Total cancellations on the fourth day of strike: 38 arrivals, 38 departures Net loss due to the strike: Air India sources reveal that loss has amounted to Rs 25 crore
