Air India has announced it is seeking an urgent multi-million-dollar loan to maintain day-to-day operations, highlighting the wretched financial predicament of the country's debt-stricken national carrier. In a statement posted on its website this week the airline said it was looking for a short-term loan of 10b rupees (US$148m) "to meet urgent working capital requirements". Air India has failed to pay staff their salaries on time for the past three months, according to multiple news reports. The plea for funds, made on Tuesday but only picked up by media late Thursday, came just days after the government said it had not received any bids in an auction for a majority stake in the airline. Airlines and other investors were put off by some of the sale terms, forcing the government to go back to the drawing board. Air India is about US$8b in the red and reported losses of almost 58b rupees for the financial year ending March 2017.<br/>
star
More than half the members of Air India’s pilot union have threatened industrial action because of delays in getting their salaries, according to a letter written by the members and seen by Reuters Friday. Members of a regional committee of the Indian Commercial Pilots Associations’ (ICPA) have sent a letter to the union’s central committee, saying they had decided not to cooperate with the state-run carrier’s management until salaries are paid. They did not give further details. In its letters the members warned that not getting wages on time leads “to financial stress and mental agony, thereby resulting in undue fatigue which is severely affecting flight safety”. ICPA represents more than 600 pilots in India, according to its website. The threat is the latest setback for the debt-laden carrier that is struggling to meet operational expenses after the government failed to attract even initial bidders last week to buy a 76% stake in the airline. An internal notice dated June 6 sent to employees said salaries for May were “delayed and the payment is likely to be made on June 15.” <br/>
South African Airways said Friday it was introducing additional flights on three days of the week between East London in the Eastern Cape province and Johannesburg targeted at business travellers. SAA said this move, effective from Sunday, would increase its flights between between Johannesburg and East London to 30 per week from 24. "Adding these early departures out of East London and late returns from Johannesburg is an ideal way for business travellers from the coastal city to be in Johannesburg early morning to conclude their business and return the same day," an SAA spokesperson said. SAA operates East London flights with Airbus A319 or A320 aircraft, offering premium service in business class.<br/>