The bleeding Maharaja seems to have bowed to pilots’ threat but its not be good enough to ensure a smooth travel if you are booked on a Air India flight in November.

A day after Air India denied full salaries to pilot threatening to go on strike, the airline on Thursday said it is consulting financial institutions and hopes to be in a position to clear all outstanding dues by November 10. But pilots claim that they will not wait that long to settle the issue.

The Indian Commercial Pilot Association (ICPA), the union formed by 800 Indian Airline pilots more than half of the airlines total strength on Wednesday had threatened to go on a strike if the management failed to cleared their outstanding salaries by November 1.

“We want to finish this once and for all. When all airlines are paying the staff on time why can’t we get our salaries regularly?” said Captain R. S. Ottal, general secretary, ICPA. “We are tired to of creating a ruckus every month for pay.”

An airline spokesperson said that it expects to secure additional loans in a couple of days that would enable them to clear the performance link incentive and flying allowance which comprise
80 per cent of pilot salaries. The pilots’ union said that the airline has only paid them 20 per cent of the August salary and whole of September and October payments are pending.

The loss-making airline that declared a loss of Rs 7,200 crore in March and is expecting another Rs 5,000 crore by the end of the current financial year has been denying both the fat components.