The Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Ajit Singh today asserted that the domestic flight operations are normal and the national carrier is carrying 26 thousand passengers daily from the beginning of this month.

Talking to reporters in New Delhi today, the national carrier is planning to hire pilots from domestic and international markets as the international traffic is around eleven thousand passengers daily which is two to three thousand less than the normal.

Mr. Singh said that AIR INDIA will start flights to Hong Kong, Seoul and Osaka in August this year.

In response to a question on the ongoing pilots' strike, he made it clar there is no point in their coming back if they do not accept the Dharmadhikari report.He added that for Air India management the strike is over.

He said pilots can return back to work without precondition. In response to a question on the fate of terminated pilots, Mr. Singh said they will have to apply afresh. The Minister noted that the strike has already been declared illegal by the high court.

Mr. Singh said that he is on record in Parliament that there will be no victimisation if the striking pilots return back but they are not willing.