Air India sacks 'sick' pilots amid training dispute

NEW DELHI. May 9. KAZINFORM Air India has fired 10 pilots after dozens of them called in sick amid a dispute over training for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes.

The airline has derecognised the Indian Pilots' Guild and its office is being sealed, an Air India spokesman said.

Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh called the strike "illegal".

The pilots are protesting against the decision to train pilots from Indian Airlines, which merged with Air India in 2007, to fly these planes, Kazinform has learned form BBC.

Air India pilots have said the planes were ordered before the merger, so they should be preferred for training.

According to reports in the Indian media, another 150 pilots were expected to miss work later on Tuesday.

Air India said it had cancelled four international flights due to the unavailability of pilots.

 

 

Full version