Around 400 executive pilots of the National Aviation Company of India Limited (Nacil) — the company that runs Air India — threatened to go on indefinite mass sick leave to protest pay cuts late on Friday night, raising the spectre of crippled air services in the middle of the busy festive season.

Capt. V K Bhalla, who claimed to represent over 300 executive pilots, said in Mumbai that the decision to strike had been triggered by across-the-board cuts in performance-linked incentives (PLIs) announced by AI on Wednesday.

“The decision has been taken by executive pilots of Air India against Air India’s management which has reduced the pilots’ salary by 70 per cent — 50 per cent by office order and another 20 per cent through hidden points,” said Capt. Bhalla. “Deliberations are on between union pilots in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, and we are getting positive reactions from then.”

Asked if the pilots had given any prior notice to the AI management like Jet Airways pilots did recently, Bhalla said Air India had not bothered to give pilots any notice on pay cuts.

Air India spokesperson Jitendra Bhargava said the airline had “no intimation of any strike by the pilots.” In Mumbai, AI CMD Arvind Jadhav said, “Our rostering department has not received any calls from pilots refusing flights. All our flights till tomorrow morning are on schedule.”

Sources in AI’s management, however, told The Indian Express that till 10 pm, “no confirmation” had been received from pilots rostered to operate at least 10-12 flights, and some disruptions were expected.

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