The standoff between Air India and its agitating pilots finally reached a resolution on Monday with the national carrier withdrawing all legal proceedings filed by it in the Delhi high court against the pilots who had resorted to strike.
The Air India management was allowed by the court to withdraw all civil proceedings against the protesting pilots after its assurance that it was “sympathetically” considering the applications from around 100 sacked pilots stating their willingness to resume work.
“Applications (for resumption of duties) have been received from 97 sacked pilots. Personal hearing is being given to each pilot and the termination of nine such pilots have already been revoked,” senior advocate Lalit Bhasin, appearing for the AI management, told Justice Reva Khetrapal. The applications of the remaining pilots would be reviewed “sympathetically” and the AI management would dispose off the matter within the next four to six weeks, the counsel added. AI withdrew the civil suit filed against the striking pilots as well as the contempt of court proceedings against them for not ceasing their strike soon after being directed by the high court to resume their duties.
During the course of the proceedings in the HC, while the AI management seemed unwilling to be lenient to its 101 pilots whose services it had terminated for resorting to strike, Justice Khetrapal pressed the airline to be cooperative and sensitive to its pilots. The AI counsel had informed the court that a committee, comprising senior executives of the airline, had been formed by it to consider the representations made by its sacked pilots willing to resume their duties.
The AI management had earlier toughened its stand and dropped its proposal to sympathetically consider the issue of reinstatement after the pilots had put forward fresh conditions. The counsel for AI had strongly objected to the amendments demanded by the pilots that either an independent panel, having a retired Supreme Court or the high court judge, be constituted or the national carrier be not allowed to withdraw the case till the issue of sacking is resolved.