Kingfisher management convenes meeting on Wednesday

New Delhi: With no end in sight to the 16- day impasse over a lockout and strike by its workers, Kingfisher Airlines management has called a meeting with their representatives tomorrow in a last-ditch effort to convince them to return to work.

The meeting, scheduled in Mumbai, is likely to be attended by top officials of the parent company, UB Group, apart from the airline top-brass.

It comes three days before the lockout, imposed by the airline on October 1 and extended till October 20, is to end. All flights across its network have remained cancelled since then.

The liquor baron Vijay Mallya-owned carrier would also have to submit its reply to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) show-cause notice by October 20.

The aviation regulator had served the notice on October 5 asking why its flying license should not be suspended or cancelled due to grounding of its entire fleet and saying it had failed to offer safe, efficient and reliable service. It had given the airline 15 days to reply.

The staffers, who struck work on September 30 protesting delay in salaries, are insisting they would resume work after their seven-month dues were paid. Accusing the management of not fulfilling their earlier promises, employees sources said they wanted concrete assurances about payment of their dues.

Airline sources said the management's efforts would be to find common ground for breaking the impasse and resume operations as soon as possible, saying both sides realise that keeping the aircraft on ground would not help.

Earlier several rounds of meetings have been held between the two sides, but to no avail, while the staffers have taken out protest demonstrations in various cities.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh has also said the airline would have to submit a concrete plan to DGCA on safety and salary payments, before it is allowed to resume flights.

PTI