This comes close on the heels of a controversy involving IndiGo, wherein a few pilots were suspended for planning a strike.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India's aviation regulator, has launched a probe against seven IndiGo airlines' pilots who allegedly used expletives while discussing issues related to their salaries on a radio frequency used for emergency communication.
The incident took place on April 9, the news agency PTI reported, when the pilots used offensive language on 121.5 MHz frequency, meant for direct communication with any aircraft in distress. The frequency 121.5 MHz has to be compulsorily monitored by the air traffic controllers who are in the vicinity of the aircraft. For air-to-air communication among the pilots of different aircraft, 123.45 MHz frequency is used, which is not monitored by the air traffic controllers.
This comes close on the heels of a controversy involving IndiGo, wherein a few pilots were suspended for planning a strike on April 5, against the COVID-induced salary cuts.
During the first and second COVID waves, IndiGo airlines had cut the salaries of its pilots by upto 30 per cent. Many carriers had deducted the salaries of their employees as the aviation sector was worst-hit by the anti-coronavirus restrictions.
However, on April 1, IndiGo announced an increment of 8 per cent for pilots, saying another 6.5 per cent will be increased in November if there are no disruptions.
Meanwhile, the Airline Pilots' Association of India has written to Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia claiming that the airline had forced the pilots to resign for planning the strike, ANI reported.
"In a recent article, the media highlighted the resentment amongst the pilots of IndiGo airlines. The pilots were of the opinion that their concerns were not adequately represented to the management.
"Pursuant to this, a few pilots had, on private WhatsApp chats and other social media, expressed a desire to form a trade union or any such body that could represent them with the management and others in general.
"The human resources department of Indigo airlines has reacted in a manner which is highly arbitrary and has suspended the pilots initially. In a mafioso manner they have then proceeded to force the pilots to tender their resignation. The pilots had no option but to comply thereby furthering the feeling that there is no fair representation for the pilots," it added.
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 "On April 1, IndiGo announced an increment of 8 per cent for pilots.")
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