<p>With the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) toughening its stand that the crisis-ridden Kingfisher Airline will not be allowed to fly unless staff salaries are paid, the lock-out declared by the carrier will not end on Thursday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Even as the DGCA stance was backed by civil aviation minister Ajit Singh, talks between the management, striking engineers and pilots failed in Mumbai on Wednesday. The much-expected report on the airline was submitted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to the minister on Wednesday. The report is said to have presented a bleak picture on the safety front. It is understood that while raising serious concerns over the non-payment of salary, the DGCA maintained that safety of the airline, which announced lock out on Monday, was “seriously jeopardised.” <br /><br />Indicating that the airline would not be allowed to take off any time soon, it informed the minister that it has asked the carrier to submit concrete plan before resuming operations.<br /><br />DGCA chief Arun Mishra had summoned airline CEO Sanjay Agarwal, who failed to give a definite time frame as to when salaries, due for seven months, would be paid. Agarwal, who is also in the list of unpaid, told mediapersons that salaries to the staff would be paid “in the next few days.” “Our strike will continue as management has failed to give any commitment on payment of salary,” Capt Vikrant Patkar, a striking pilot, said after the meeting.<br /><br />Minister Ajit Singh told reporters that the DGCA would submit a report to the ministry on the situation in the debt-ridden airline on Thursday and the ministry would review it immediately.</p>
<p>With the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) toughening its stand that the crisis-ridden Kingfisher Airline will not be allowed to fly unless staff salaries are paid, the lock-out declared by the carrier will not end on Thursday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Even as the DGCA stance was backed by civil aviation minister Ajit Singh, talks between the management, striking engineers and pilots failed in Mumbai on Wednesday. The much-expected report on the airline was submitted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to the minister on Wednesday. The report is said to have presented a bleak picture on the safety front. It is understood that while raising serious concerns over the non-payment of salary, the DGCA maintained that safety of the airline, which announced lock out on Monday, was “seriously jeopardised.” <br /><br />Indicating that the airline would not be allowed to take off any time soon, it informed the minister that it has asked the carrier to submit concrete plan before resuming operations.<br /><br />DGCA chief Arun Mishra had summoned airline CEO Sanjay Agarwal, who failed to give a definite time frame as to when salaries, due for seven months, would be paid. Agarwal, who is also in the list of unpaid, told mediapersons that salaries to the staff would be paid “in the next few days.” “Our strike will continue as management has failed to give any commitment on payment of salary,” Capt Vikrant Patkar, a striking pilot, said after the meeting.<br /><br />Minister Ajit Singh told reporters that the DGCA would submit a report to the ministry on the situation in the debt-ridden airline on Thursday and the ministry would review it immediately.</p>
