Over 400 Air India pilots who have been on strike for 58 days have told the Delhi High court that they are are willing to return to work and those with valid licenses will begin flying aircraft at the earliest. “Due to the intervention of the Delhi high court, the strike has been called off with immediate effect,” legal counsel for Air India told reporters outside the high court.

“The striking pilots will report to work in 48 hours. Those with valid licenses can fly while others will have to get them renewed,” he said. The pilots also told Justice Reva Khetrapal through their counsel Geeta Luthra that they will join their duties in 48 hours by giving joining reports, whereas those pilots whose services were terminated during the strike would submit reports expressing their willingness to join the duty.

The pilots decided to call off their strike after AI management assured the court that it would consider the grievances of the pilots “sympathetically”. “Serious efforts have been made to settle dispute and the counsel for the parties have assured the court that their respective clients will be extending full cooperation in this regard,” the court said.

“The senior counsel (Luthra) appearing for the pilots has said that her clients will immediately call of the strike and join their duties in 48 hours, by giving joining reports or the report expressing their willingness to join the duty,” it said.