New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called a meeting of the various ministries, including power and coal, on Wednesday to review the progress of infrastructure projects. Singh would meet the ministers of power, coal, civil aviation, railways and shipping in the evening at his residence, sources said. Various power and road projects are stuck due to environment or financial hurdles. Today's meeting may address these issues, sources said. Many...
02:44 PM, Jun 06, 2012
Mumbai: The Air India pilots' strike entered the 30th day on Wednesday and there is still no end to the stand-off between them and the management backed by the Civil Aviation Ministry. The pilots under the de-recognised Indian Pilots Guild have now written to the Air India Chairman saying that a channel of communication needs to be opened up between both sides to resolve the current impasse. The IPG in...
11:24 AM, Jun 06, 2012
New Delhi: The black money issue and a spate of corruption cases have dealt a serious blow to the government's image. This has prompted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to call a meeting of his senior infrastructure ministers to find a way to redeem the government's image and change the perception of policy paralysis. The PM is expected to present a blueprint and deadline to bring the economy back on track....
06:26 AM, Jun 06, 2012
New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry has proposed slashing state taxes on jet fuel, which may significantly bring down costs for ailing local airlines that are reeling under a debt load of $20 billion and annual losses of $2 billion. The ministry has sought opinion from stakeholders on reducing state taxes on jet fuel to a uniform 4 per cent, according to a discussion paper posted on its website. Different...
08:05 PM, Jun 04, 2012
New Delhi: A truce between Air India management and striking pilots may be on the cards after Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Friday met the pilots. Sources told CNN-IBN that the sacked pilots may be taken back on the case-to-case basis. The Air India management is also likely to hire pilots for international operations soon. Taking a tough stand on the issue earlier, the Aviation Minister had blamed...
01:55 PM, May 25, 2012
New Delhi: It's the 16th day of the Air India crisis and cracks between the airline management and the Pilots Guild getting deeper. A contempt notice was issued to Air India pilots on Wednesday. The notice said that the pilots have to reply by July 13 and if they don't join work, they'll continue in contempt till then. If their contempt is upheld after they file their reply on July...
04:22 PM, May 23, 2012
New Delhi: It's the 16th day of the Air India crisis. The cracks between the airline management and the Indian Pilots Guild seemed to have gone deeper. The Pilots Guild accused the management of indulging in financial malpractice and mismanagement that has caused the airline losses worth Rs 4,300 crore. "Mismanagement of the company's resources, hostility towards the welfare of erstwhile Air India employees and forced merger are the main...
02:16 PM, May 23, 2012
New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Tuesday blamed Air Indias striking pilots for the airlines poor financial condition. He said that the government was doing everything to break the deadlock but the striking pilots were not ready to listen. "We are ready to discuss all the issue. Let us realise that the Air India is in a very bad financial condition. We are in the process of determining...
04:45 PM, May 22, 2012
New Delhi: The Air India crisis has entered the 15th day on Tuesday and there is still no clarity on when the pilots' strike will end. Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh met 13 Air India unions on Monday to discuss the turnaround plan and the future of the national carrier. While sources claimed that one of the requests by the unions was to reinstate the 71 sacked pilots, the Air...
08:49 AM, May 22, 2012
New Delhi: Three DGCA officials have been suspended for issuing licences classifying 28 flying schools as charitable non-profit entities instead of fully commercial entities, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said on Thursday. He said based on investigation report submitted by the Chief Vigilance Officer in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), it was decided to suspend the three officials alleged to have been involved in preparation of the list...
08:49 PM, May 17, 2012
New Delhi: The rift between the Air India staff and the government has worsened with the government now accusing the employees of causing massive financial losses. Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh told Parliament on Thursday that the Vigilance Department was investigating 161 cases of irregularities. The ministry accepted that there has been an increase in tipsy pilots and cabin crew. It also says that the pilots allegedly pocketted over Rs...
01:18 PM, May 17, 2012
New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Thursday said that the government will convene a meeting of all the recognised Air India unions next week to discuss Justice Dharmadhikari report on HR issues. Singh said he will discuss the issues of promotions and career progression of pilots in the meeting. The meeting will have representatives of all the recognised unions, which means the Indian Pilots' Guild that is spearheading...
11:21 AM, May 17, 2012
New Delhi: There are cracks in the Indian pilots guild over the ongoing strike by Air India pilots as three pilots have reported back to work on Wednesday. Reacting to the development, Jitendra Awhad, the president of the IPG, dismissed the reports as rumours, accusing the management of playing dirty politics. He asserted that none of the pilots from the IPG or the affiliated group had reported back to work....
07:15 PM, May 16, 2012
Even ten days after the strike by the Air India's pilots began there appears to be no resolution in sight. With civil aviation minister Ajit ...
10:53 AM, May 16, 2012
New Delhi: The government's appeal to the striking pilots of Air India have fallen on deaf ears. The strike has entered its ninth day on Wednesday. Fifteen international flights from Delhi and Mumbai were cancelled on Wednesday. Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh had said that the government would hear the pilots' woes unconditionally as long as they returned to work. The strike has...
08:56 AM, May 16, 2012
New Delhi: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Tuesday said that Air India will have to perform to get a bailout package from the government and that it was the last chance for the national carrier. The civil aviation minister informed Parliament that Air India lost Rs 150 crore due to ongoing strike of the pilots. He further urged the pilots to get back to work, saying "if pilots...
08:17 PM, May 15, 2012
New Delhi: Accusing Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh of making policy statements on Air India outside Parliament during the session period, the CPM, the JDU and the BJP on Tuesday moved a privilege notice against him in the Lok Sabha. "We have tabled a notice of privilege against the Civil Aviation Minister (Ajit Singh) in the House and demanded that he come and explain why he made policy statements on...
04:39 PM, May 15, 2012
New Delhi: Several Air India pilots submitted medical certificates to the Air India management even as their strike entered the eighth day on Tuesday, leading to 24 flights being cancelled. Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said that the pilots were making false claims of being sick and not reporting for duty. An Air India team visited the homes of the striking pilots and prepared a medical summary of the Delhi base...
02:00 PM, May 15, 2012
New Delhi: Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on Tuesday said that Air India pilots were making false claims of being sick and not reporting for duty. Singh made the statement after several pilots submitted medical certificates to Air India management even as their strike entered the eighth day on Tuesday, leading to 24 flights being cancelled. The Minister vented his anger, saying the sick claim was bogus and it was evident...
01:07 PM, May 15, 2012
New Delhi: There has been no end to the Air India crisis as the pilots' strike entered the eighth day on Tuesday. Air India cancelled around 10 international flights from Delhi and Mumbai this morning. The pilots sent a medical report to the Civil Aviation Minister saying that ill health was an excuse to skip work. While Ajit Singh slammed the report, an Air India team visited the homes of...
11:10 AM, May 15, 2012
