Air India pilots call in sick amid training dispute

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Almost 100 Air India pilots have called in sick amid a dispute over training for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes.

They are protesting against the decision to train pilots from Indian Airlines, which merged with Air India in 2007, to fly these planes.

Air India pilots have said the planes were ordered before the merger, so they should be preferred for training.

Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh called the move "illegal".

According to reports in the Indian media, another 150 pilots are expected to not report for work later on Tuesday.

Some international flights have already been cancelled due to the unavailability of pilots.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17986892

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Air India cancels more flights amid pilot protest

Protests by some Air India pilots have entered their second day with more international flights cancelled from Delhi and Mumbai, reports say.

An Air India spokesman said three international flights to Singapore, New York and Newark have been cancelled.

Earlier the airline fired 10 pilots after dozens of them called in sick amid a dispute over training for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes.

Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh called the stoppage "illegal".

Two flights from Delhi to Singapore and to New York and one flight from Mumbai to Newark were cancelled on Wednesday, an airline spokesperson told Press Trust of India news agency.

"All other international flights are operating as we have made a contingency plan with the available pilots," the spokesperson said.

The pilots are protesting against the decision to train pilots from Indian Airlines, which merged with Air India in 2007, to fly the new planes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18001530