11 June 2012 Last updated at 02:29 ET

Air India expected to sack more pilots

The Boeing 787 is at the heart of the latest dispute between Air India's management and pilots

The management of the national carrier, Air India, is considering sacking about 300 pilots who have been on strike for the past 36 days, reports say.

Aviation Minister Ajit Singh last week said new pilots would be hired to take over from the striking pilots.

More than 400 pilots have been on strike in a dispute over training to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane.

The airline has already sacked 101 pilots and the Delhi High Court has ruled the protest illegal.

Sources in the state-owned airline said "tough action" would be taken against the 300-odd pilots, who owe allegiance to Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) and are on strike since 7 May, and indications are that they could be sacked, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Last Wednesday, Mr Singh said the "strike is over as far as we are concerned".

The pilots have been protesting against the decision to train pilots from Indian Airlines, which merged with Air India in 2007, to fly the Dreamliners.

Air India pilots say that as the planes were ordered before the merger, they should be given priority for training.

Air India is due to take possession of three Dreamliners later this month and the first international flight of the plane would be in August from Mumbai to London.