The Indian Commercial Pilots Association has has warned that any unilateral change in the salaries of Air India pilots would be illegal and has the potential to flare up to a situation of “unprecedented magnitude”.

“The proposed cut for pilots is almost 60 per cent of gross emoluments. The top management has proposed a meagre 3.5 per cent cut in its own gross salary,” said the joint letter sent to chairman and managing director Rajiv Bansal by the ICPA and the Indian Pilots’ Guild.

Any unilateral change by Air India in the salaries of pilots would be illegal and has the potential to flare-up to a situation of “unprecedented magnitude”, said the ICPA, one of the airline's pilot unions, on Monday.