Air India

In a statement issued by Air India, the airline said that a passenger on their flight AI882 on May 29 behaved in an unruly manner. "The said passenger verbally abused the crew members and then went on to physically assault one of them on board. On landing at Delhi airport, the passenger continued with the unprovoked, aggressive behaviour," said the Air India spokesperson.

This development follows the May 4 town hall meeting organised by the flag carrier where the concerns of numerous pilots were addressed. The sources revealed that during the meeting, approximately 800 pilots who had not yet agreed to the new compensation structure, were in attendance. The meeting was presided over by Air India.

The plea stressed on explicit zero tolerance policy with respect to "unruly/disruptive behaviour", which could mandate reporting it to the law enforcement, failing which action would be taken against airlines in all cases. A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala, issued notice to the Centre, the DGCA and all airlines, including Air India.

According to Air India, the permanent general cadre officers who have attained the age of 40 years or above and completed a minimum of five years of continuous service at the airlines are eligible for the offer. Also eligible will be clerical and unskilled categories of employees who have completed a minimum of five years of continuous service.

The airline has sent out an email detailing the consequences of any delays in the renewal process, which include both disciplinary action and financial penalties. According to sources, the directive comes amidst concerns over the airline's safety standards, and aims to ensure that all pilots meet the necessary requirements for operating.

A show cause notice has also been issued to the chief of flight safety for delaying the investigation and not reporting to the concerned authority, official sources said. Both CEO and chief of flight safety are to file a reply to the show cause notice, said DGCA sources.

In the incident, the pilot allegedly had entertained a female friend, who had entered in the cockpit, which violates DGCA safety norms. A cabin crew member had filed a complaint with DGCA, prompting an investigation. While the cabin crew member seems to have no role in the incident, the entire crew has been derostered pending.

In the incident, the pilot allegedly had entertained a female friend, who had entered in the cockpit, which violates DGCA safety norms. A cabin crew member had filed a complaint with DGCA, prompting an investigation. While the cabin crew member seems to have no role in the incident, the entire crew has been derostered pending investigations, said an official.

Stressing that they take great pride in their work and the role they play in representing the Tata group and India on the global stage, the pilots said: "However, we are currently facing a difficult situation with the current HR department. We feel that we are not being treated with the respect and dignity that we deserve as employees of Air India."

"You are called upon to ensure that no such unilateral change is attempted, nor any of the so-called individual agreements are implemented, failing which, I am instructed by My Client to take all steps open to My Client to proceed against Air India, which shall be at Air India's risk and cost," the legal notice sent to the airline's Chief Human Resources Officer, Suresh Dutt Tripathi.