Mumbai/New Delhi: As situation at the beleaguered airline deteriorates, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu directed senior officials of his ministry to continuously monitor developments relating to the crisis. Terming the situation at the airline “dynamic”, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said only 41 aircraft of the Jet Airways were currently available for operation and there may be “further attrition” of flights “in coming weeks”.
As per the website of Jet Airways, it has a fleet of 119 aircraft in total. For the past few weeks, passengers have been venting their ire on social media as the airline’s flight cancellations have increased. A senior official of DGCA said the regulator is reviewing the hike in airfare on specific routes across the country and it has advised airlines to increase flights so that the fares remain in check. The DGCA held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the upward spiral in airfares owing to Jet continuing to ground more aircraft while cancelling a significant number of its flights.
In a statement, Prabhu’s office said he has also issued direction for safeguarding the public interest and giving “paramount importance” to ensure safety as well as convenience of passengers. After the DGCA took stock of the situation at Jet Airways, its spokesperson said the regulator reviewed the performance of the airline on operational, airworthiness and passenger facilitation. The spokesperson added that the DGCA has instructed the airline to comply with “the relevant provisions of the applicable CARs (Civil Aviation Requirements) for facilitation of passengers regarding timely communication, compensation, refunds and providing alternate flights wherever applicable”.
Jet Airways pilots threaten strike
Mumbai: The National Aviation Guild (NAG), an association of Jet Airways pilots, threatened to stop flying from April 1, if their salary dues are not clear by March 31. The decision was taken at the annual meeting of the NAG, which has over 1,000 pilots as its members. “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. The pilots and other senior staff have not been getting their full salaries since December.