Mumbai: Defying the directive of the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), "some line pilots" of Air India (AI) on April 30 reported for duty and rostered for flights, even as the airline was considering hiring of pilots of Indian origin with foreign airlines, presently laid off, on short term contracts.

"Some pilots have reported for flying and rostered for flights," AI sources said, but declined to reveal the number of the line pilots who have joined for duty.

The airline in a statement said it operated a special flight on the Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai-Jeddah-Mumbai sector with a Boeing 747-200. It also plans to operate three additional flights to the Gulf sector on May 1.

AI spokesman said in a statement, "As more and more unionised pilots ignore the directive of Indian Pilots Guild and report for duty, the airline will gradually reinstate more flights."

The AI spokesman said normalcy of flight operations is expected to be attained soon, with the management taking additional measures, including hiring of pilots of Indian origin.

"We are looking at Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A310 pilots of Indian origin in the Far East, who have been laid off due to present turmoil and hiring them for two-three months only after necessary approvals from their respective airlines," AI officials said.

Apart from this, the airline is also expediting training of its 40 odd pilots, he said, adding that the airline intends to send them to Airbus training centre at Toulouse in France to expedite training, so that they could be inducted for flying duties a month in advance.

Meanwhile, he said AI has begun reinstating flights with the Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai-Jeddah-Mumbai sector being operated on April 30 with a Boeing 747, even though this service was one of the services that were cancelled as per the contingency plan.

Three more return flights from Mumbai to Bahrain-Doha Bangalore-Dubai and to Calicut-Dubai will operate on May 1, while plans are underway to operate two more flights per day from May 2, the sectors and schedules of which were being worked out, he added.

PTI