Yesterday, 160 international route Air India pilots called in sick to protest their lack of training privileges for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft compared to domestic route pilots.
The action caused the cancellation of several international flights, left passengers stranded and cost the already struggling airline millions in revenue.
The strike is reported to have continued today, with even more international route pilots calling in sick.
Yesterday 10 of the striking pilots were fired by the airline, which refuses to recognise the Indian Pilots Guild that represents them since they failed to give strike notice.
Air India runs 50 international flights daily. Routes affected are mainly those destined for North America, including Toronto, Chicago and Newark. Hong Kong routes remain unaffected.
This is the latest bout of trouble for the struggling state-owned airline. Last year, a similar 10-day strike cost the airline US$3.3 million, read more here. The government also announced a bail out in the form of a US$5.6 billion subsidy that same year.
Alex Andersson
