NEW DELHI, July 4 (IANS): The 59-day strike by Air India pilots ended Wednesday, a day after the aviators assured the Delhi High Court that they would call off their stir and join active duty within 48 hours.Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh had said Tuesday: "The high court direction on the strike has endorsed the views of the government that the pilots should call off the strike unconditionally and report back to duty. The government is committed to the welfare of the employees of Air India, including pilots."
The strike started May 8 when members of the Indian Pilots' Guild went on mass sick leave, protesting the move to provide Boeing 787 Dreamliner training to their colleagues and pilots from the erstwhile Indian Airlines.
The grounded fleet of Boeing 777s, unused manpower and absence from key routes hit the airlines' chances of a financial turnaround.
The strike also crippled Air India's international operations and caused an estimate revenue loss of Rs.620 crore.
