A 1 January directive by the civil aviation ministry to state-owned airline Air India helps take salaries of some of the airline’s pilots to market levels but also imposes several penalties on them, including pay cuts, for reporting late or for missing flights.
“The way this has been drafted and pushed through, if the unions take a stand, it will lead to industrial disputes and disruptions,” said Mohan Ranganathan, a Chennai-based aviation safety consultant who has negotiated with the management as part of Air India’s unions in the past.