New Delhi sources stated that the pilots of cash strapped Jet Airways have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu to intervene and instruct the management to release their pending salaries. The National Aviators Guild (NAG), the registered trade union of Jet Airways' Indian pilots said "We fear that the airline is on the verge of collapse. This will leave thousands of people unemployed, which will change the dynamics of aviation as fares will increase due to a reduction in capacity, and travelling public will face major inconvenience”.
Meanwhile two days ago, they had threatened to stop flying from April 1 if their pending salaries are not cleared by March 31. Furthermore the airline is going through a tough financial phase, all employees except for pilots and engineers are getting paid on time, claimed the NAG in communication to PM Modi and Suresh Prabhu.
The letter read "The pilots and engineers are now almost three months behind salaries and facing a lot of financial hardships with no relief in sight and our repeated pleas to the management have gone unheard. The pilots have maintained professionalism and not hampered operations of the airline as that would have had a catastrophic effect on passengers'' travel plans". Moreover the NAG said the continued uncertainty and financial difficulties are causing extreme stress among pilots and engineers that can easily compromise safety which is not at all desirable.
