With the pilot agitation continuing for close to a month, Air India may look at hiring some pilots, the Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Ajit Singh, said on Friday.

The agitation has seen a severe curtailing of the long haul international flights operated by the airline. Addressing a press conference, the Minister said that a new Government panel was now looking at which international routes operated by the airline were able to meet their costs and which were not.

On the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft joining the airline fleet, the Minister announced that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs will take a view on what compensation the aircraft manufacturer should pay Air India. The compensation is being sought in view of the close to five-year delay in delivery of the first aircraft.

Declining to reveal the amount being sought in compensation, Air India officials said that the aircraft had been cleared by a team of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

“At the moment we have 32 pilots who fly the wide body aircraft in the fleet that have been trained to fly the Boeing 787. In addition we also have 16 pilots who operate the narrow body fleet who have also been trained to fly the new aircraft,” a senior AI official said.

The airline fleet consists of wide body aircraft like the Boeing 777 and narrow body like Airbus A-320 family of aircraft.

New international airports: Meanwhile a proposal to declare five airports including Tiruchy and Lucknow as international airports will soon be taken up by the Union Cabinet.

The Cabinet nod for the proposal will allow foreign airlines to fly to these airports and enhance air connectivity.

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