AI is hurting: 100 pilots take workload of 400

New Delhi: A stop gap arrangement is becoming an interminable routine at Air India, making life difficult for the 120-odd Executive Pilots. These pilots, who are not unionised and cannot resort to a strike, have been holding up international operations of the airline at a time when 424 pilots affiliated to the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) have not reported for work for the the last 38 days.

Even though the airline has truncated the international schedule heavily, many executive pilots are already off work due to severe fatigue while others are crying foul.

Already, 20 odd executive pilots have stopped flying. And the remaining 100 have appealed to Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh to resolve the mess at the airline soon. One IPG pilot, requesting anonymity told Firstpost, “How can 100 pilots take the workload of 400? Obviously fatigue has built up to dangerous levels. The airline is boasting that our absence is not affecting it but it is certainly affecting the executive pilots”.

More from Business

Hyundai India’s Rs 27,870 crore IPO oversubscribed by 2.28X, largely driven by institutional investors How Indian fintech startups are driving Malaysia’s UPI-like digital payments revolution

[caption id=“attachment_344764” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Even though the airline has truncated the international schedule heavily, many executive pilots are already off work due to severe fatigue while others are crying foul. AFP”]  [/caption]

So why is the airline management dithering over a decision to move forward? Despite several hints and insinuations over sacking the remaining 323 IPG pilots (101 were terminated earlier)by Singh earlier this week, the airline has till date not made any moves.

A source told Firstpost that 190-odd termination letters are typed and ready but the airline is hesitant to issue these in the light of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) expressing its displeasure over terminations.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and road presence compared

As Trump weaponises tariff, Fed sees a bigger worry: Not jobs, but rising prices in America

And the process of hiring fresh pilots, though it has been kickstarted with an advertisement, will be a long drawn out affair. The ad invites applications from qualified commanders and co-pilots for flying Boeing 747/777/737 planes. No wonder then that the executive pilots have urged the minister for an early resolution of this entire fracas.

In a letter to Singh, which was also sent to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the executive pilots have said the current flying schedule is unmaintainable and could jeopardise the safety of passengers as well as crew.

“We wish to place on record that flying the truncated International schedule with just 100 executive pilots is pushing us beyond our limits and we are experiencing the symptoms of cumulative stress and fatigue and will not be able to maintain the schedule for much longer,” the pilots said.

They also pointed out that in such circumstances, they should not be held responsible for any disruption of flight schedule, further alienating passengers.

Already, there are doubts over Singh’s claim that 75 percent of international operations of AI are normal- with striking pilots pointing out that seat availability on many sectors is much less and majority of wide body aircraft are grounded. They said only five to six B777 are operational out of 20 aircraft with Air India and only two of the five B747s are being flown. These pilots also pointed out that the Mumbai-London-New York flight offers only about 350 seats against 750 earlier.