Around 1,100 pilots and engineers of crisis-hit Jet Airways’ pilots body National Aviator’s Guild (NAG) have decided not to fly from 10 AM on Monday, April 15 in protest against “non-payment of salary dues.
The employees are expected to meet tomorrow morning and take a formal, collective decision to stop work.
The pilots along with engineers and senior management have not received salaries since January. The debt-ridden carrier has also not paid March salary to employees of other categories as well.
The airline, reeling under debt, stopped most of its international flights over the last week. The move by the pilots’ union comes two days after the government promised to “review the issues” related to the airline.
Over the last week, the airline had cancelled a series of flights, by Friday owing Rs. 3,500 crore to passengers alone, news agency Press Trust of India has reported.
Besides, the Mumbai-based airline owes around $1.2 billion to banks, and separately to lessors, suppliers and oil companies.
The group of Jet Airways’ lenders, led by the State Bank of India, have been seeking a new investor to take a stake of up to 75 per cent in the airline.
Initial bids were to be submitted by the end of Wednesday, but SBI has extended the deadline to April 12.On Wednesday, Indian Oil Corporation halted the supply of fuel to Jet Airways for a few hours over non-payment of dues.
