Pilots’ forum tells its members to shun senior colleague

Mumbai: Indian Airlines, is now dealing with a scandal surrounding its General Manager (Operations) in Mumbai, Captain N R Phatak, who also holds the highest administrative position in the western region as officiating executive director.
On October 10, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) issued a directive to its 400-plus pilot members in all regions: no dealing with Captain Phatak in any managerial/administrative capacity; no flights, no checks, no instructional training in aircraft or simulators with him.
The ICPA, which is the only recognised union of pilots in the country, has accused Phatak of repeatedly using ‘‘unparliamentary language’’ in the cockpit, harassing and attempting to physically assault co-pilots, threatening women pilots, even going on ‘‘additional flights with certain female pilots’’.
As GM (Operations), Phatak is in charge of all IA pilots at the airline’s Mumbai base. He told Newsline that the allegations were baseless.
16/10/06 Lekha Agarwal/Expressindia.com

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