As the agitation by protesting pilots entered the fourth day today, 12 Air India international flights were cancelled even as the Civil Aviation Minister hoped that the airline "does not enter the ICU".u00a0

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"All our long haul flights to US, Europe, Riyadh and Jeddah have been cancelled", an Air India official said. This has been done due to non-availability of pilots who are on mass sick leave since Tuesday, he said.u00a0

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Long overhaul flights to New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Toronto, Frankfurt, London, Paris from Delhi and Mumbai were cancelled.

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With pilots remaining defiant, the Air India management had yesterday sacked 9 more pilots. Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh expressed hope that pilots will "get well soon as they are sick.

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