As their protest entered the fourth day on Saturday,striking Air India pilots refused to call off their agitation,further crippling the domestic operations of the national carrier. Air India could operate only five flights from Mumbai on Saturday,its spokesperson said and hoped it would operate four to five more flights through the rest of the day. "As we are unable to get in touch with the management or the government for the dialogue so far,we cannot but continue our agitation," said Rishab Kapur,general secretary of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association,which is spearheading the stir. Regretting the 'adamancy' of AI management and Civil Aviation Ministry,Kapur said,"Even our backdoor efforts to get talks going have failed so far." On the reported move by the management to deploy chartered flights,he said,"Management is bending backwards to benefit the private carriers." ICPA has also declined the reported offer by the management to revive the grounded Paramount Airways,a private carrier,and to put AI pilots on deputation there. The Association stuck to the demand that the AI management led by CMD Arvind Jadhav be removed,and an investigation by the CBI into alleged corruption in the airline be started. A total of 820 pilots are on strike,including 160 Executive Pilots who have reported sick,and the ICPA members.
