A flier enquires about flights at the Air India counter in Patna. Telegraph picture

Patna, May 3: Around 40 passengers, who had earlier booked their tickets in different flights of Air India (AI) on the Patna-Delhi route, availed the services of a special flight that the government carrier operated today on the same route.

The airlines had to operate this special flight in the wake of the ongoing strike of AI pilots who have not reported to work since April 27. One of the major demands of these pilots, most of whom owe allegiance to the Indian Commercial Pilot’s Association (ICPA), is that of pay parity with pilots of other national carriers.

Thanks to the strike, the regular flights of AI on the Patna-Delhi route are not operating. In normal times, AI operates three flights on this route.

With no solution in sight, AI has decided to operate its special flight on Wednesday as well. The flight would commence its journey from Delhi at 1pm and is expected to reach Patna at 2.20pm. In the return journey, the flight would take off from Patna at 3pm and after hopping at Varanasi it would fly to Delhi.

“Apart from the call centre, our team in Patna, too, is informing passengers, who have booked their ticket for May 3, about the special flight so that those willing to avail it can have its services,” an AI official, who refused to be named, told The Telegraph.

He said with no hope of the strike to end, many passengers, who had booked their tickets earlier, had extended their journey dates by a week or so. “A good chunk of them are also availing the full refund option and opting for the private operators,” added the AI official. As far as ticket rates of private airlines are concerned, the city fliers should not be complaining, as unlike metro cities, the private operators have not hiked their ticket rates on the Patna-Delhi route.

Today, a current ticket on Patna-Delhi route in Kingfisher Airlines was available at Rs 6,700, which was much lower than the rate of the current ticket of the same airlines a few days back.

“Ticket rates are decided on the basis of availability of seats,” said a Kingfisher official, adding that with less number of seats available on Wednesday, the current price of one seat would be Rs 8,200 and above. Those opting for services of other private operators, too, would not complain as according to information provided by the aviation sector sources, a Patna-Delhi ticket in Jet Airways on Wednesday was available for Rs 4,990, of IndiGo for Rs 4,834 and of GoAir for Rs 4,833 only.

PTI adds: Meanwhile, Delhi High Court today issued contempt notices to nine of the AI pilots on strike for defying its order to call off the agitation, which entered the seventh day.

The coaxing and cajoling, veiled threats of possible consequences of contempt proceedings and AI’s offer to reconsider termination on filing of appeals by sacked pilots did not persuade the pilots’ body ICPA to call off the strike.

A division bench of the Delhi HC slammed the pilots’ posture saying: “These are young boys (pilots) and do not understand consequences of facing contempt proceedings. It is a stigma and they may not get jobs later,” a bench headed by justice B.D. Ahmed said.