The Delhi high court on Wednesday refused to hear an appeal of Air India, against its earlier order which had stayed fresh training for the national carrier’s pilots to fly advanced aircraft, saying the pilots have no right to get training unless they call off their strike.
“Let them call off the strike, we will then hear the matter,” said a bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice R.S. Endlaw, refusing to hear Air India’s appeal against a single-judge order of the high court given on May 11 which had stayed fresh training of its pilots till the implementation of Justice Dharmadhikari panel recommendations on the issue. The high court had, however, refused to disturb the ongoing training of the pilots on advanced Boeing 777 to be used in international flights.
The court said on Wednesday, “So long as they (Air India pilots) are on strike, the court is not inclined to hear the matter. They cannot go on strike as well as get training simultaneously”. The bench, while posting the matter for hearing in July, said if the pilots call off their strike, they can file an application for hearing the matter.
“As they are on strike, they have no right to get any training. If the strike is called off they can move an application for hearing of the matter,” the court said.
The order came after Air India’s counsel submitted to the court that the single judge was wrong in staying the training being imparted to the Air India Pilots for Boeing 777.
He also submitted that staying the training will cause huge financial loss and the advance flight will be grounded.
According to Air India, 200 chief pilots and the same number of co-pilots need to undergo training for Boeing 777 but at present only 64 chief pilots and 62 co-pilots are undergoing training.
The court’s May 11 verdict had come on a plea by the erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots under the banner of Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) for an order to stay the ongoing training and also direct Air India to impart training to them as well along with their counterparts in Air India for the rank of Commanders for Boeing 777.
Considering ICPA’s contention that if the new training system is implemented, co-pilots of Air India will be directly promoted to the post of commanders of the advanced aircraft, the court observed it will prejudice the rights of erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots who will remain as commanders of basic aircraft only, thus affecting their seniority.
ICPA had moved the high court alleging it has not been dealt “at a par” with Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), an association Air India pilots.