NEW DELHI: A judge threatened contempt of court proceedings against striking Air India pilots on Wednesday, as they vowed to stand firm in their clash with the debt-ridden airline's management.
Delhi High Court judge Reva Khetrapal ordered more than 400 pilots at the ailing state-run carrier to explain why they had not returned to work despite a judicial order two weeks ago.
About 100 pilots, who have been claiming sick leave rather than calling an official strike, have been sacked by Air India since the action began on May 8.
"The pilots are clearly disobeying the court order. They should have reported back to work but they decided to stay away. This is a clear case of contempt," said Lalit Bhasin, a lawyer representing the airline.
In its petition, Air India management urged the court to initiate contempt charges against the pilots.
The pilots went on strike over former Indian Airlines pilots, who moved to Air India when the companies merged in 2007, being trained for new Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes. The strikers say the plan threatens their career prospects.
But the dispute has spread to cover service conditions and wage agreements, and the Air India pilots' union has insisted its members will not return to work until the management reinstates the 101 sacked pilots.
"No one from the aviation ministry and management has approached us. They have to talk to us to solve the problem," Tauseef Mukadam, a member of the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), told reporters in New Delhi.
About 450 of the airline's 750 pilots have been involved in the strike, with international flights to New York, Chicago, Tokyo and other destinations cancelled or re-routed for weeks.
The government last month cleared a $5.75-billion bailout package to help cash-strapped Air India, which has debts of $8.3 billion.
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