Air India pilots say vaccinate or won’t fly; airline assures jabs for all by May-end

Underscoring the struggle to get oxygen cylinders for themselves and family members, Air India pilots have threatened to stop flying unless the airline gets them urgently vaccinated against Covid. This comes at a time when the national carrier has been transporting critical medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, BiPAP machines, ventilators, etc from several locations globally to various points across the country.

The airline said late on Tuesday all its employees will be vaccinated by the end of this month.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), a union of Air India pilots, in a letter to the airline’s management on Tuesday wrote: “Many crew have been diagnosed Covid positive and are struggling to get oxygen cylinders. We are left to fend for ourselves for hospitalization”.