Kingfisher Airlines’ operations started limping back to normal on Thursday.

Pilots in some cities, including Mumbai, agreed to operate flights after the management promised that salaries for March would be paid from August 13.

But the airline cancelled some flights in select cities, including Delhi, as pilots refused to operate.

Airline Chairman Vijay Mallya has written to employees saying that the company will be re-capitalised, regardless of whether the Government changes the foreign direct investment policy or not.

Appealing to section of pilots against going on an agitation, Mallya asked, “What is the confidence I can give to investors who I am in dialogue with?”

Sources in Delhi said that at least 11 flights, including those to Srinagar, Kullu, Dharamsala, Jaipur and Dehradun, did not operate on Thursday. From Mumbai, at least 10 flights were cancelled, the sources said adding the Mumbai-Chennai route was the worst affected.

On Wednesday, the airline had to cancel about 30 per cent of its already truncated daily schedule of 100 flights, as a section of pilots and engineers went on strike protesting non-payment of salaries for the last seven months. While pilots are expected to start receiving salaries from Monday, some employees who are above the level of Deputy General Managers will still have to wait to receive salaries due since February, it is reliably learnt.

Incidentally, the airline had informed the authorities on Wednesday that seven ATR aircraft and three Airbus A-320 aircraft were not operating. The airline currently has a fleet of 16 aircraft.

>ashwini.phadnis@thehindu.co.in

>nivedita.ganguly@thehindu.co.in

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