Work, then talk, Ajit tells pilots

Civil Aviation minister Ajit Singh Tuesday reiterated the government's stand that the demands of the striking Air India pilots will be considered only after they returned to duty unconditionally.

The minister conveyed this in his reply to a letter sent from Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) which had asked reinstatement of 101 terminated pilots, recognition of IPG and assurance of promotion from first officer pilot to commander within six years' time, as preconditions to end the strike. The government had earlier said reinstatement could happen on a case-by-case basis. 

The stand-off between the pilots and the management entered the 22nd day Tuesday, pushing up the losses to more than Rs 310 crore.

'Losses are on account of ticket cancellation, unused labour and bulk of Boeing 777 fleet being grounded. We expect to stabilise our operations and cut the losses to less than Rs 5 crore a day from 2 June,' an Air India official said.

'Bookings on our international flights have stabilised. We have placed maximum number of seats in the lowest price bracket which has helped bookings pick up in the domestic sector and international sector,' he said.

The airline decided last week to reduce fares by placing a large chunk of seats under the lowest fare category to augment its share in the domestic and international sectors.