Hearing a petition filed by 17 suspended Air-India pilots seeking reinstatement, the Bombay high court on Tuesday directed them to make individual representation to the airline and asked the latter to consider their case depending upon exigencies of work.

Hearing another petition, justice Nishita Mhatre, who is the vacation judge, also turned down the plea of the Indian Pilot Guild challenging Air-India's stand to derecognise the union and seal its office at the old airport in Mumbai.

The high court was of the opinion that there was no urgency in the matter pertaining to derecognition of IPG and unsealing of its office.

The judge directed IPG to move the regular court after the summer vacations.         

However, the HC said it would stick to its May 2 order in which 24 pilots had been permitted to join duty on condition that they would make individual representation to Air-India.

Counsel for Air-India, Shekhar Naphade and M V Kini argued that nine of the 17 pilots had already made individual representations and they were allowed to join duty.

Others may also be directed to make representations and their cases could be considered by the management, they contended.

Altogether 48 pilots had been suspended for refusing to operate flights on SARS-related issue on a call given by IPG. They were demanding certificate from the management stating that the accompanying crew members had not flown to SARS-affected region in the last ten days.

However, Air-India suspended them citing breach of service rules. Twenty-four aggrieved pilots moved the court, which allowed them to join duty but directed the probe to go on.