NEWS: Air-India suspends 15 more pilots, cancels 37 Gulf flights

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Air-India suspends 15 more pilots, cancels 37 Gulf flights

>From Indo-Asian News Service

New Delhi, Apr 27 (IANS) A day after it suspended 12 pilots for refusing to
fly because of the SARS outbreak, the airline acted against another 15, even
as it was forced to cancel 37 flights to the Gulf because of the stir.

Air-India has so far suspended 27 pilots who have refused to fly unless the
cabin crews assigned to them were certified to be SARS-free.

Individual enquiries would be conducted against the pilots, airline sources
said.

Some 56 pilots belonging to the Indian Pilot's Guild were facing
disciplinary action, the sources said.

The flights cancelled to the Gulf - some 45 percent of those Air-India
operates to the region, would remain suspended till the end of the month,
the sources added.

Most of the flights cancelled are to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Operations to
Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been generally unaffected.

Domestic carrier Indian Airlines has also chipped in by operating additional
flights to the Gulf. Passengers booked on Air-India would also be
accommodated on other Gulf carriers, airline sources said.

--Indo-Asian News Service