BOMBAY, 28 April 2003 — Air-India said yesterday it had suspended 15 more pilots who are refusing to fly to SARS-affected countries as five flights were canceled with passengers facing a third consecutive day of delays.
The international airline had already Saturday suspended 12 pilots from the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), who were refusing to fly until A-I provided certificates before each flight stating that the flight crew had not been to countries affected by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), primarily Singapore and Hong Kong, in the previous 10 days. “The Civil Aviation Ministry and Air-India are clear that striking pilots will not get away with their actions,” A-I spokesman Jitendra Bhargav said.
The airline was to issue a revised flight schedule for the next three days later yesterday. “We have worked out schedules as if the IPG pilots are not with us. The pilots strike will not impact the Air-India flights schedule in a major way,” Bhargav added.
He said over the past week, 37 flights to and from the Gulf region had to be canceled due to the protest. Yesterday, A-I operated 22 flights while five were canceled, he added.
Flights to major destinations including Paris, Frankfurt, London, New York and Chicago will continue unaffected, the spokesman said. Airbus flights to SARS affected zones will, however, be reduced by 25 percent, he said.
