CHENNAI: Air operations at several Indian airports have once again been thrown into disarray after nearly 150 disgruntled Air India pilots went on “sick leave”.
The pilots, mostly in the non-unionised executive category, are unhappy over the cash-strapped Air India management’s decision to slash their productivity-linked incentives by 50% to 70% — a move that will drastically reduce their take-home pay.
As of yesterday morning, at least 20 domestic and international flights had either been cancelled or delayed.
The national carrier’s flight from Chennai to Kuala Lumpur, scheduled to depart at 2am, was cancelled.
“All Air India passengers were transferred to an Air India Express flight which left Kuala Lumpur at 2.30am. It is too early to say about tomorrow (today) morning’s flight to Kuala Lumpur.
“Some talks have been initiated and we hope it will come under control,” a Chennai-based senior Air India official said yesterday.
Air India and its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express connect to 25 destinations worldwide.
The new labour agitation is taking place barely two weeks after about 400 Jet Airways pilots went on a mass “sick leave” for days, which almost crippled the airline’s domestic and international operations.
The Jet Airways strike was sparked by the sacking of two pilot who tried to establish a union.
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