361 Jet pilots call in sick, may remain off duty today

New Delhi. Mumbai. Bangalore: If you are booked on a Jet Airways flight today, don't expect a smooth ride to your destination. The conflict between the pilots' union and the airline over the sacking of two senior pilots manifested in a simulated strike on Tuesday, fracturing operations and inconveniencing passengers. The issue is yet to be resolved. In fact, it is learnt that till late on Tuesday, the Jet management had not invited its union for talks even as three more senior pilots, including a woman, were said to have been sacked.
Despite a Bombay high court order restraining the pilots from striking, in a sign that the conflict is almost certain to spill into Wednesday, the airline has cancelled 31 flights scheduled for today, including eight international flights. Passengers, meanwhile, are also avoiding booking on the beleaguered airline.
Tuesday's chaos was enough to keep them away. The simulated strike by 361 pilots of the Jet Airways pilots' union, who reported sick to protest against the sacking of two of their colleagues on July 31, grounded 186 of the airline's 345 flights, inconveniencing 13,000 passengers.
"Out of the total domestic flights operated by the airline, approximately 25% of the flights have operated until noon today," a press note issued by the airline said. The note also said that the airline had combined or cancelled flights, as well as accommodated its passengers on alternative flights.
Its low-cost subsidiary JetLite operated as per normal schedule. The private full-service airline, which is trying to cut costs by trimming workforce, has locked horns with pilots since they formed a union - National Aviation Guild (NAG) - on July 24. The NAG went on the wildcat strike, as the government terms it, to demand the reinstatement of two pilots - Captain Sam Thomas and Captain D Balaraman - who were sacked for their involvement in the union.
09/09/09 Sindhu Bhattacharya, Ramiya Bhas, Praveena Sharma & Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Jet Airways Sep 2009