Air India currently runs a total of 47 flights per week to the US, comprising of six to Newark and 17 to San Francisco.
Before this, the airline had recognized that there is a restricted group of pilots in India who are qualified to operate Boeing 777 aircraft.
Advertisements were released by them, inviting pilots to become a part of the company.
Air India Exhausting Its Pilots
Air India pilots have alleged that the airline’s management is compelling them to work beyond their designated duty hours while denying their leave requests and making verbal threats, which has led their union to consider various options, including a labor strike.
They have asserted that they have the backing of over 65% of the pilots working for the airline and have provided a detailed list of their complaints in a two-page letter addressed to Air India MD and CEO Campbell Wilson, as well as the Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG) and the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICAP).
It seems that the airline under the Tata Group’s management has been encountering persistent problems in the US-India route, which have led the former state-owned carrier to reduce six weekly flights due to a shortage of crew.
Ordeal Affecting Flights Schedules
There has been a surge in the number of delayed or canceled Air India flights, particularly those involving Boeing 777, while this situation prevails.
A recent example of this was the cancellation of an Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi, which left almost 300 passengers stranded at the Chicago airport.
Last week, two flights from San Francisco to Mumbai were delayed by almost three hours on consecutive days.
Additionally, earlier this week, a flight from New York to Delhi that was scheduled to depart at 12:30 pm took off at 1:58 am.
The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICAP) attributes the flight delays and cancellations to a severe shortage of pilots within the organization.
When It Comes To Labor Strike
Air India’s estimates suggest that it is currently short of 90-100 commanders specifically for the Boeing 777.
A representative of the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICAP) stated that despite several attempts to engage with the management and even approaching the chief labor commissioner (CLC), the only remaining course of action for them is to go on a labor strike.
An Air India spokesperson has refuted all of the allegations made by stating that there is currently no recognized union within the company, and that communication channels with employees are always open.
However, according to the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICAP), Air India is disregarding the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s Civil Aviation Requirement (DGCA CAR) which mandates printing the ‘weekly rest’ on the roster.
Despite protests from the pilots, Air India is allegedly pressuring them to work on their off days.
Recently, the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted Air India’s request to permit cross-utilization of pilots, meaning that a 777 pilot can also operate a 787 and vice versa.
However, the letter from the Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG) and the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICAP) stated that despite multiple written concerns being raised, there has been minimal action taken to address the underlying problems affecting their operations.
They further emphasized that the situation has become critical and requires immediate attention.
