Aviation regulator blamed for failure to offset turbulence

Mumbai: The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (Ifalpa) has accused the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of violating its role as an independent regulator in dealing with the Air India's pilots strike.

As the Air India pilots' strike entered the thirteenth day, the Ifalpa stated that while it would make a formal representation to the DGCA in this regard, its Indian arm, the Air Line Pilots' Association (ALPA)-India, would request the aviation regulator to implement various mutual assistance policies.

Merger issues

In a statement issued yesterday, the Ifalpa said: "We have been informed by ALPA-India of a very serious situation that has developed within Air India. Since the merger of Indian Airlines into Air India in 2007, the company has kept the two divisions as separate operations. However, with the forthcoming introduction of the B787, the company has unilaterally introduced an upgrade policy that will have a very detrimental effect on the career progression of the original Air India pilots who are represented by the Indian Pilots Guild, a division of ALPA-India," the Ifalpa stated.

"Unfortunately the company, rather than seeking to address the concerns of its pilots, has reacted in a very aggressive manner," it added.