UAE flights cancelled over Air India strike action

The strike, which began on Tuesday, follows a decision to train pilots formerly employed by Indian Airlines as well as pilots formerly employed by Air India to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Flights to the UAE have been hit by a strike by Air India. AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee

DUBAI // At least two UAE flights were cancelled today as a result of strike action by more than a hundred Air India pilots.

The strike, which began on Tuesday, follows a decision to train pilots formerly employed by Indian Airlines and pilots formerly employed by Air India to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Air India merged with Indian Airlines more than a year ago, but those employed by the national carrier before the merger say their new colleagues should not receive the training as it endangers their career prospects.

A flight from Calicut to Dubai was cancelled as a result, the duty manager at the Calicut airport said. Flight IX343 was to depart at 08:05pm.

"These are wide-bodied aircraft and around 700 passengers would have travelled on these flights," said the duty manager.

Abhay Pathak, the regional director of Air India for Middle East and Africa, said flight IX344 from Dubai to Calicut has also been cancelled. "All the passengers have been informed and we are making arrangements to send them on one of three or four flights operating from Sharjah and Dubai," he said. About 160 passengers had been inconvenienced, he said.

Another flight, operating from Mangalore to Dubai, has been delayed as a result of the strike, and Mr Pathak said all passengers were being informed if there was any further delay or cancellation.