"It is not as if the airline did not take necessary action. But the growth of the aviation sector has been so explosive that the airline is facing shortage and is taking in expatriate pilots," AI chairman and managing director V Thulasidas said.

Many youngsters are getting pilot training from abroad. But they can be inducted as co-pilots only as they need five to six years of flying experience. Only after that can they be appointed as commanders, Thulasidas said when asked about the drawbacks being faced by the country's premier airline.

"There are strict security regulations in place due to which flight duty time limits of pilots have to be strictly adhered to. If a pilot appears on duty, whether he flies or not, after particular number of hours he has to be given rest before flying. We cannot go against the rules," he said.

On the recent delays at various airports, he said the airlines was analysing the reasons for the delay in several of its flights and will take 'corrective' steps. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had on Monday warned that action would be taken against AI officials responsible for the delay.

Some AI officials were injured in scuffles with irate passengers in Delhi on Monday while passengers in Kozhikode protested after Air India postponed its flight departure to Dubai by a day.

Being a national carrier and largest operator of flights, any disruption would attract attention, Thulasidas said adding, this was true of any national carrier of other countries. "We do get criticised when our flights get disrupted and cancelled and quite a few of this criticism is well deserved. We are a good target of criticisms," he said.

"But due to extreme factors like climatic conditions, inadequate infrastructure facilties at an airport, duty time limits of pilots and airport congestion, a flight could get disrupted," he added.

AI was also contemplating becoming part of Global Alliance in the next one-and-a-half months. "In the next one to one-and-a-half months we will formulate the alliance, which would be beneficial to the passengers as they can utilise the network of the alliance," Thulasidas said.

On the strengthening of the airlines fleet, he said 111 new aircraft will be acquired by 2011, of which 68 were ordered by AI and 43 by Indian Airlines. Even this would be inadequate with the huge growth in the aviation sector, he added.

Air India has 135 aircraft at present. The airlines has already begun reviewing its need for at least six years after 2011. A draft review is being prepared and would be submitted to the government in the next two months, the official said.