Now, Kingfisher benches 50

Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines - losing Rs 10 cr a day due to low flight occupancies and high costs, problems faced by all airlines at present - has benched 50 trainee pilots as an austerity measure, reports Lalatendu Mishra.

Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines — losing Rs 10 crore a day due to low flight occupancies and high costs, problems faced by all airlines at present — has benched 50 trainee pilots as an austerity measure.

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While these pilots will continue to be on the airline’s payroll, they’ll lose hefty flying allowances. They normally take home Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh every month. Now, they will get around Rs 30,000.

Jet, with which Kingfisher has forged a route- and infrastructure-sharing alliance, took back the employees following the uproar.

Air India, meanwhile, is hoping at least 2,000 of its 33,000 staffers take its offer of leave without pay.

“..To tide over the turbulence in the industry and keeping in mind the reduction in capacity, Kingfisher has effected a downward revision of emoluments of 50 trainee pilots,” the airline said in a statement.

Each aircraft needs five sets of pilots and Kingfisher has more than 700. Out of 85 planes 10 could be grounded or leased out.