New Delhi: Over 1,000 pilots of Jet Airways will meet on Monday under the aegis National Aviator’s Guild (NAG) to decide whether pilots will fly aircraft or not in view of the non-payment of their salaries.
Jet pilots have not been receiving salaries for over three months.
NAG is the official pilot union of Jet Airways, which had on March 31 decided that, if the Jet management failed to pay the dues to pilots and Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME), it would take a final decision on April 15 about its future course of action.
NAG sources said that “The pilots are divided on the issue of going on a strike as there are hardly any flights left to operate.”
NAG sources also said: “Majority of pilots are planning to stop flying without pay. We are going to meet on Monday morning for final and collective decision.”
NAG has told the union staff that there is a critical meeting on Monday with airline management and the SBI.
“In light of the meeting, members have requested through their team leaders that call of ‘No Pay No Work’ be deferred to give the airline a chance of survival. Accordingly, as requested, the Committee would like to inform all that the decision stands deferred for the time being,” it said.
The Union has not yet issued any direction or passed any resolution on whether the pilots will fly from midnight due to non-payment of salaries.
SBI led consortium has taken over the debt-ridden airlines Jet Airways after chairman and founder Naresh Goyal quit the airlines.
Burdened with high operating costs and a huge debt, Jet Airways has been facing the biggest crisis in its history, according to reports.
Since January, it has not been able to pay salaries to pilots and maintenance engineers.
Many lessors have taken possession of planes after the airline failed to pay rents.
Lenders, led by State Bank of India, took control of Jet Airways in March after its founder and chairman Naresh Goyal gave up control to resolve the crisis.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]