Jet sacks 3 more pilots, protests to intensify

New Delhi: Jet Airways has cancelled 31 flights — 25 domestic and six international — for Wednesday with all 650 pilots under the National Aviators Guild (NAG) saying they would be joining protests after the management sacked three pilots today for refusing to allow company-appointed doctors to examine them. They are also likely to try and persuade the airline's 165 expatriate pilots to join the protests.
Turmoil reigned at airports around the country after Jet, India’s largest airline, was forced to cancel 154 domestic and 32 international flights after 361 pilots under NAG made good on a midnight decision and took mass sick leave.
The pilots were originally protesting against the management’s refusal to reinstate two pilots who were dismissed for unspecified reasons on July 31.
"We are still discussing our plan of action. As of now, one thing is decided that no pilot would report for duty tomorrow. But whether it would be strike or leave is yet to be decided. We are also requesting the expats to join us," said a NAG representative.
The decision to go on mass sick leave impacted some 13,000 passengers out of the 26,000 that Jet Airways and low-cost subsidiary JetLite carry daily. Jet Airways has a 26.3 per cent — 18.9 per cent of Jet Airways and 7.4 per cent of JetLite — share of the domestic passenger market that carries 100,000 passengers a day. JetLite pilots are not part of this protest. A company statement said 25 per cent of domestic flights were able to operate till about noon today.
09/09/09 Business Standard

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Categories: Jet Airways Sep 2009