The Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), which is spearheading the agitation, said in a statement it was "open to meeting with officials of the management and/or Ministry at any place at any time in order to resolve these issues and bring an end to the current impasse."
An AI spokesperson said, "three sick pilots have resumed duty today". The IPG claimed that they were not its members. The agitation has led to curtailment of the airline's international operations.
Even as it offered to get to the negotiating table, the IPG accused the airline management of providing "incorrect" inputs on their demands to Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh.
"The strike continues. .... We don't want pilots to be martyred," IPG president and NCP MLA Jitendra Ahwad told PTI when asked whether they were willing to call off their agitation that has led to a revenue loss of over Rs 150 crore to the loss-making carrier besides causing inconvenience to passengers.
Hit by the pilots stir, the airline put into operation skeletal international services to Europe and North America as part of a contingency plan.
Singh has promised to hear the pilots' grievances unconditionally and appealed to them to return to work, saying they had the "last chance" to revive the "almost bankrupt" airline.
He has also assured them there would be no vindictive action if the striking pilots came for talks unconditionally.
Asked to comment on the ongoing stir, Heavy Industry Minister and senior NCP leader Praful Patel said, "it is unfair for me to comment on anything that is going on. All I can say is that the Aviation Minister's approach is right and I fully support the Minister for whatever steps he has taken and intends to take."(MORE)
