AI losses mount to Rs 200 crore
19 May 2012 5:39 AM GMT
The crisis in Air India (AI) raged on for the 11th day on Friday and the national carrier's losses mounted to Rs 200 crore as the impasse between agitating pilots and the management continued. Â
'Contingency plan is in place. We are operating a bare minimum number of international operations by clubbing flights to destinations in Europe and the US,' a senior official of Air India's operations arm said. Â
'We have lost about Rs 200 crore due to ticket cancellations, unused labour and with a bulk of our Boeing-777 fleet grounded. Our losses per day stand at Rs 13-15 crore,' the official said.
According to the official, the airline has started a special scheme whereby passengers can advance, postpone or cancel their tickets without any extra charges till 22 May. The airline has deployed the Airbus family of aircraft such as A320, A321 and A330 for international routes.
It is only operating eight of its 17 Boeing-777 aircraft which are normally manned by the pilots belonging to Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), who are now on strike.
The development comes a day after civil aviation minister Ajit Singh called all unions of the airline for talks next week and the Delhi High Court refused to entertain the Indian Pilots Guild's plea challenging the court's earlier order restraining the pilots from going on an 'illegal strike'.Â
Ajit Singh on Thursday said he would discuss with the unions all outstanding issues such as pay parity and promotion, while a division bench of the high court said contempt proceedings should be started against the pilots.
The carrier's low-cost international wing, Air India Express, is also bearing the brunt of the agitation. The strike and the subsequent flight cancellations by the airline have disrupted holiday and other travel plans of hundreds of people.Â
'Contingency plan is in place. We are operating a bare minimum number of international operations by clubbing flights to destinations in Europe and the US,' a senior official of Air India's operations arm said. Â
'We have lost about Rs 200 crore due to ticket cancellations, unused labour and with a bulk of our Boeing-777 fleet grounded. Our losses per day stand at Rs 13-15 crore,' the official said.
According to the official, the airline has started a special scheme whereby passengers can advance, postpone or cancel their tickets without any extra charges till 22 May. The airline has deployed the Airbus family of aircraft such as A320, A321 and A330 for international routes.
It is only operating eight of its 17 Boeing-777 aircraft which are normally manned by the pilots belonging to Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), who are now on strike.
The development comes a day after civil aviation minister Ajit Singh called all unions of the airline for talks next week and the Delhi High Court refused to entertain the Indian Pilots Guild's plea challenging the court's earlier order restraining the pilots from going on an 'illegal strike'.Â
Ajit Singh on Thursday said he would discuss with the unions all outstanding issues such as pay parity and promotion, while a division bench of the high court said contempt proceedings should be started against the pilots.
The carrier's low-cost international wing, Air India Express, is also bearing the brunt of the agitation. The strike and the subsequent flight cancellations by the airline have disrupted holiday and other travel plans of hundreds of people.Â
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