MAY 4TH, 2011

Air India strike update

Despite a section of pilots striking work and disrupting its flight operations, Air India has scheduled to operate 106 flights on the domestic sectors per day as part of the contingency schedule, for the next few days. These include operation of flights by Alliance Air, additional flights operated with wide bodied B777 B747 and Air India Express B737 aircraft, in addition to the regular Airbus flights, as against a normal operation of about 320 flights. The curtailed operations schedule till 6 May has been finalised and put on the website.

All its 45 daily flights on the long haul routes to the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea continue to operate normally and as per schedule. Air India’s subsidiaries, Air India Express operated 72 flights and Alliance Air – 32 flights, also on schedule. Air India has approximately 29000 seats on offer on these services.

On the domestic sector, 90% of flights have been curtailed and 40 domestic flights scheduled out of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai and other airports have operated successfully.

Air India continues to take necessary steps to minimize the inconvenience caused due to the strike to its passengers. The number of floor walkers at major airports and Call Centers have been increased. Air India is also transferring the stranded passengers to flights of other airlines.