Air-India to suspend 15 more pilots over SARS issue

State-run Air-India said on Sunday it will suspend more pilots for refusing to fly to SARS-affected countries.

"Letters of suspension are being issued to 15 more pilots on Sunday, in addition to the 12 who were suspended on Saturday," Jitender Bhargava, spokesman for the international flag carrier, told a news conference.

The Indian Pilots' Guild had asked its members not to fly to countries like Hong Kong and Singapore to reduce their chances of exposure to the flu-like virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, that has killed more than 300 people worldwide and infected over 5,000.

The

move had forced the airline to cancel several flights to Southeast Asia.

Seven cases of SARS have so been reported in India.

Some doctors have expressed fears that SARS could spread rapidly in the country due to its congested cities and overstretched health system.