Kingfisher Airline settles strike

• Tweet

NEW DELHI, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Management and employees at strike-crippled Kingfisher Airlines in India said deals had been struck that could resume flights in November.

Employees struck the first of October for back pay owed since March. The agreement calls for an immediate payment for the first month's wages owed and three other installments that will catch paychecks up by the end of the year, Indo-Asian News Service reported Thursday.

"We have reached an agreement with management on the salary issue. We will join back work immediately," said service engineer Satish Chandra Mishra.

"We expect to be in the sky (flying) soon and put forth our case to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation," Kingfisher Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Aggarwal told reporters at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Regulators said they were unsure how quickly the airline could be re-approved for flying.

"They have to submit a plan in which they have to show us how will they restart operations, pay their employees and keep safety the top priority," said Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh.

The airline's commercial license to fly had been suspended during the strike that began Oct. 5.

Even if can resume operations, it is not the same airline it was a year ago. Then, Kingfisher had 66 planes ready to fly. This year, they are down to 10 planes, Indo-Asian News Service said.