New Delhi, June 11
“They (pilots) have no intention of coming back,” is how Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh today summed up Air India pilots’ month-long strike which now appears to be headed towards the point of no return. Pilots, however, are determined to “go down fighting”.

Wondering about reasons behind the “diabolic motives” of the government and management of consciously “destroying” their careers and “favouring” pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines, the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) strategically reached out to “fellow employees” of the erstwhile Air India.

“The very essence of our existence in this airline and also this profession has been challenged,” they said. “If the management and the employees of the erstwhile Indian Airlines continue to have their way, we shall no longer be required to exist in this airline. Like any other living being, we shall be compelled to go down fighting for our existence,” they added.

With battle lines so clearly drawn, the management may go in for a final crackdown against the remaining 300-plus striking pilots even though Ajit Singh claims he has not recommended it.

“It is easy to take away jobs, but creation of jobs is very difficult. I don’t want to take away anybody's job. But it is for the management to decide for how long pilots can be kept on payroll when they are not working,” Singh said.

The management also has a Plan B. It includes the shutting down of a major part of international operations till all human resources are in position to put the revival plan in place by August-September.