Some pilots of the Kingfisher Airlines have gone on strike on Tuesday to protest the non-payment of salaries and other dues during the past few months.

Airline officials were forced to cancel five flights due to the unavailability of the pilots. The pilot who did not operate flights are those who operate 70-seater ATR turboprop aircraft on short-haul routes connecting regional airports.

Some of the senor pilots have indicated that company engineers might also join the strike soon as the management has not delivered on its promises to release salaries for its employees. The pilots have said that they are holding a meeting in Mumbai and Delhi to decide upon their future actions.

The pilots said that they have not been paid their salaries since February after several empty promises about of salaries. They have said that the pilots will decide their future action till Monday evening. Kingfisher Chief Vijay Mallya had warned earlier that any strike by the already few remaining pilots with the airline could threaten the continuity of the company's flying license.

Meanwhile, the private sector airline is facing increasing pressure as its lessors took back 34 aircrafts due to the non-payment of Rs 1000 crore in lease rentals by the airline.