Pawan Hans pilots call off strike after management compromises

Pawan Hans pilots call off strike after management compromises

5-Dec-2013 Source: HeliHub.com

Pawan Hans was in flux earlier this week after five experienced pilots quit  to protest against flying anti-Naxal missions (see HeliHub.com story).   Naxalites are a radical communist group, supportive of Maoist political sentiment and ideologies, and active on the eastern side of India. They are generally regarded as the biggest threat to stability in the country.

Normal flying operations were resumed on Wednesday after a meeting between management, pilots and their key ONGC customer closed at 1.30am that morning. The management have committed that they will not seek new contracts into Naxal areas, and let the current contracts run without seeking rewnewal. A further commitment was that they will only fly passenger sorties for the Border Security Force – Pawan Hans customer in the Naxal areas.

The five pilots who started this situation are also back flying.

But what’s the rub? Pawan Hans is owned by the Indian Government. ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Corp) is owned by the Indian Government. The Border Security Force is clearly Government owned too. So will a time come in the future where the Government puts its foot down and forces Pawan Hans to renew contracts into Naxal areas? Or will this move precipitate a strategic re-think into helicopter flying in Naxal areas, and how the Border Security Force provides aerial services? A job for the military?

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com

, , , , , ,

Copyright © 2024 HeliHub

Website by Design Inc

Helihub logo

X