On day seven of the agitation by over 300 Air India pilots, the debt-trapped national carrier today cancelled 14 international flights, even as the airline’s board endorsed the management’s tough stance towards the strike.
Seeing no end in sight to the crisis, which has already cost the airline Rs 150 crore, Air India on Monday further extended the bar on bookings for its west-bound flights till Thursday.
It had earlier stopped taking bookings for flights to North America and Europe till Tuesday.
The airline sacked 71 pilots, terming the strike as illegal.
Meanwhile, the Air India board reviewed the implementation of the government’s turnaround plan and also decided to appoint a consultant for monetisation of the airline’s assets, spread across the country and abroad.
“Air India is looking for top real estate consultants with wide experience in operating in India and abroad. The plan is to have the consultant by June 30, 2012,” said the release.
According to a plan approved by the government, the airline plans to monetise assets worth Rs 5,000 crore over 10 years to support its financial restructuring plan at an average of Rs 500 crore per year.