Jet pilots threaten to stop flying from Apr 1

Mumbai: The umbrella body of the domestic pilots of the nearly crippled Jet Airways Tuesday threatened to stop flying from April 1, if the resolution plan is delayed and salary dues are not cleared by the end of this month.

The decision was taken at the annual meeting of Jet Airways domestic pilots body National Aviators Guild after a meeting here lasting for over 90 minutes.

The guild, which came into being almost a decade ago, represents around 1,000 domestic pilots at the airline.

"If there is no proper clarity on the resolution process and salary payments, by March 31, we will stop flying from April 1," the guild said.

Having failed to get any assurance from the management on salaries, the guild last week had written to Union labour minister Santosh Gangwar, seeking his intervention.

Meanwhile, as Jet Airways, one of India's largest airlines, hurtled towards bankruptcy, the government on Tuesday called an emergency meeting with its management. The cash-strapped carrier is struggling to make payments to its creditors and has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights as it fights competition, a weak rupee and rising fuel costs. The maintenance engineers' union of the airline Tuesday wrote to the aviation regulator DGCA that they are owed three months of salary and flight safety "is at risk".

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted Tuesday morning that he had asked for a compliance report from Jet and the aviation watchdog, the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) immediately. Prabhu also said he had asked for an emergency meeting on the issues such as the grounding of aircraft, advance bookings, cancellations and refunds.

There are reports that the government has asked central banks to bail out Jet Airways for the moment to prevent the airline from going bankrupt. "It is a dynamic situation and there may be further attrition in coming weeks," the aviation regulator said in a statement. Asserting that it is ensuring that all aircraft in the fleet are maintained in accordance with the approved maintenance programme, DGCA said it is "continuously monitoring the overall situation and based on the same, will take appropriate steps by the end of the month, if needed."

Earlier Tuesday, the airline said it had grounded four more planes and would delay paying interest on maturing debt in a fresh sign of deepening liquidity crisis engulfing the carrier.