New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Tuesday sought Air India’s reply on a plea by several pilots. The plea challenged the national carrier’s decision to terminate their services with effect from August 13. Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to Air India and sought its stand on the fresh batch of petitions by four pilots. They have challenged the airline’s August 13 order.
In its reply Air India told the Delhi High Court that it has terminated the services of over 40 pilots who tendered resignations. They had later withdrawn the same but by then substitutes for them were engaged. Hence, the letters for termination of services were issued.
The pilots in their pleas said they had initially tendered their resignations over delay in payment of salaries and allowances. However, they had later withdrawn the same.
Air India, in its reply, said that it was already ‘reeling under a debt of approximately Rs 30,000 crore’. In addition to that it has outstanding liabilities to various banks, lessors, vendors and service providers to the tune of around Rs 11,000 crore. Therefore, the delay in payment of salaries and allowances of pilots was not done with any malafide intention. It happened due to the airline’s ‘precarious financial condition’. This Air India said in an affidavit filed in the high court.
The court also orally asked the national carrier to stay its hands with regard to seeking surrender of the identity cards and other documents of the four pilots till Wednesday, when an earlier batch of similar pleas by other Air India pilots are to be heard. They have sought directions to Air India not to accept their resignations.
Air India issued termination letters August 13 to all those pilots who had resigned earlier but had withdrawn the same. The fresh batch of petitions, filed through advocate Ravi Raghunath, has been moved challenging the August 13 termination letter. The court listed the latest batch of petitions for hearing September 17.
PTI
