FIA calls off August 18 private airlines strike

October 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Air India flights took off for various destinations as per schedule here on Thursday, a day after its executive pilots called off their strike. According to an airlines official, flight operations have returned to normal and 18 morning flights have taken off as per schedule.

September 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Air India has cancelled its two flights on Saturday due to an agitation called by a section of the national airlines' pilots. The executive pilots of Air India are protesting against the decision of the management to reduce their productivity-linked incentives (PLI) by 50 per cent.

September 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Talks between executive pilots on strike and Air India Management is now on here today to resolve the deadlock and to discuss about their demands to reduce their productivity-linked incentives (PLI) by 50 per cent. Air India has cancelled its two flights due to an agitation called by a section of the national airlines' pilots.

September 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Passengers are having a harrowing time as Jet Airways has canceled flights for the fifth consecutive day on Saturday. The pilots of the airlines are on strike under the banner of NAG (National Aviators Guild), to press for their demands.

September 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Civil aviation authorities Thursday asked all airlines to restrain from raising fares when the Jet Airlines pilots are on strike. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has written to all airlines not to charge higher fares and limit their charges to those prevailing last week, a civil aviation ministry spokesperson said.

August 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's private airline operators met Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, demanding reduction in sales tax on jet fuel and airport charges. The representatives of Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which includes five of India's top private airlines, met Patel to present their demands after they put their August 18 strike "on hold" in view of the inconvenience it could cause to thousands of passengers.

August 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Even with the private airlines calling off their planned protest of August 18, the Union Government has stood firm and ruled out any financial bailout for them. Speaking to the reporters here on Monday Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Praful Patel said, "There is no question of a financial bailout for private airlines." He also made it clear that the government would not bail out Air India.

August 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - A day after private airlines called off their Aug 18 strike, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Monday ruled out any kind of bailout for them or for the state-owned carrier Air India. "There is no question of a financial bailout for private airlines.

August 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - State-run national carrier Air India will push more flights into service Aug 18 following threats from private airlines that they would suspend operations the same day if airport charges and fuel taxes were not slashed. According to an official spokesperson, Air India will increase the number of flights to minimise any inconvenience to passengers.

August 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's private airlines Sunday called off their proposal to suspend domestic operations Aug 18 in view of widespread public protest and a stern warning from the government. The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), a representative body of the carriers, had earlier said the private airlines would not fly Aug 18 if the government failed to announce a bailout package to help tide over the ongoing crisis which they claim has escalated their collective losses to over $2 billion.

August 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Praful Patel said on Saturday that the government would not offer bailout package to private airlines. On Friday, the private airlines announced that they suspend their operations on August 18 if the government did not help them to cut down costs.

August 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Minster of State for Civil Aviation Praful Patel has urged the private air operators to come forward for negotiations rather than threatening to suspend on August 18. Patel said, the government understood the problems of the aviation sector, but maintained that it would not tolerate inconvenience to the paying public.

July 31st, 2009 MUMBAI - The country's private airlines on Friday joined hands to demand a bailout from the Government and announced they would suspend their operation on August 18. The Secretary General of The Federation of Indian airlines Anil Baijal announced the decision, after the meeting which was attended by the representatives of Kingfisher, Jet Airways, Spice et and Indigo Airlines, Addressing a joint press conference Vijay Mallya of Kingfisher Airlines and Naresh Goyal of the Jet Airways said the tickets booked for August 18 would be refunded.

July 28th, 2009 SUKNA - Life returned to normal at Sukna in West Bengal on Tuesday when the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) called off their strike. Gorkhas called an indefinite strike in the region on June 10 demanding a separate state of "Gorkhaland" to be carved out of West Bengal to protect their culture and heritage.

January 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Territorial Army (TA) personnel have been deployed at the Delhi airport to ensure smooth flight operations in the wake of the nationwide strike by public sector oil company employees, an airport official said Thursday. The strike, started Wednesday, has hit refuelling services in many other airports, including Mumbai, leading to brief flight delays.