MUMBAI, Mar 30: Over 1,000 pilots of the
struggling private carrier Jet Airways have decided to go
ahead with their “no flying” call from April 1 following the
airline failing to receive funds from the banks Friday, its
pilots guild has said.
The airline said in a statement that every effort was
being made to restore normalcy of operations.
The National Aviators Guild (NAG), the body claiming
representation of some 1,100 pilots at Jet Airways, had last
week announced its decision not to fly from April 1 if their
pending salaries were not cleared and clarity on the revival
plan not provided by March 31.
Days after that, the airline’s ownership went into the
hands of SBI-led consortium of banks under a debt-recast plan.
“A part of the expected interim funding from SBI was
supposed to be actioned on March 29. Unfortunately, the fund
transfer has not taken place, and there is also no update on
salary payment from the management. The collective decision of
pilots taken at Mumbai and Delhi open house effective 1 April
prevails,” NAG president Karan Chopra said in a late evening
communication to his members.
Jet Airways pilots along with engineers and senior
management have not been paid for about four months now.
“As announced earlier this week, the airline’s lenders
and its management team would like to reiterate that every
effort is being made to inject adequate liquidity into the
company, to quickly restore normalcy of operations, ensuring
due compliance with all appropriate legal processes/
formalities at the same time,” a Jet Aiways spokesperson said
in a statement.
“While acknowledging the support of each and every
member of its family, Jet Airways especially recognises the
contribution of its pilots, AMEs and members of its senior
management, who have sacrificed personal interests and have
gone beyond their call of duty in order to ensure safe and
reliable operations for the airlines guests,” it said.
Earlier on Friday, a source said that around 200
pilots had written individually to Jet CEO Vinay Dube,
threatening to go on “leave of absence”, and they were also
planning to take legal recourse over non-payment of salary.
A source in the pilots’ community said around 200
pilots have written to the CEO flagging concerns about
non-payment of salaries. The pilots are also members of the
NAG, the source added. (PTI)
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