Jet pilots dig in heels, airline stand firm

Mumbai: The stalemate between the pilots of Jet Airways and the management continued for the second day on Wednesday as both parties hardened their stands. Nearly 174 flights were cancelled and over 14,000 passengers were affected.
The pilots union, National Aviators Guild (NAG) of Jet, made it clear that it was willing to talk and end the impasse if two pilots who were sacked by email were reinstated. However, the management stood firm and grounded five more pilots, taking the number of those fired up to 10.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for Delhi to meet Jet chairman Naresh Goyal, NAG president Girish Kaushik said their only demand was the reinstatement of their colleagues, captain Sam Thomas and captain D Balaraman.
Addressing the media, chief operating officer (COO) of Jet, Hamid Ali said 432 pilots had reported sick on Wednesday despite a Bombay High Court order restraining them from resorting to any form of strike.
09/09/09 Rommel Rodrigues/ExpressBuzz

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Categories: Jet Airways Sep 2009