Delhi HC quashes Air India's decision to terminate 48 pilots, orders payment of back wages

New Delhi: Coming to the aid of all Air India pilots whose services were terminated, including the contractual ones, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday quashed the national carrier’s decision of last year and directed their reinstatement. The direction was issued by Justice Jyoti Singh who also ordered that back wages would have to be paid to the reinstated pilots. The court also said that extension of contract, in the future, of the contractual pilots would be at the discretion of Air India in view of their satisfactory performance. The court said the detailed judgement would be available only on Wednesday. The order was passed in response to over 40 petitions by pilots whose services were terminated by Air India on 13 August last year.