Pilots upset as Kingfisher effects salary cuts

After Jet Airways, it is the turn of Kingfisher Airlines’ pilot to face pay cut. PTI has reported that the Vijay Mallya controlled airline has slashed the salaries of its pilots, sparking resentment among them.

After Jet Airways, it is the turn of Kingfisher Airlines’ pilot to face pay cut. PTI has reported that the Vijay Mallya controlled airline has slashed the salaries of its pilots, sparking resentment among them.

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“Earlier, we were being paid a salary of Rs 4.30 lakh per month. Now it has been cut to Rs 3.50 lakh, all in the name of integration (with the erstwhile Deccan),” PTI quoted a Kingfisher pilot as saying.

However, according to Kingfisher officials, the reduction in salary could be 4.5 per cent, which works out to be Rs 19,500 per month. “This is insignificant when people are loosing jobs due to economic downturn,” the official said.

The pay cut is after the airline opted for a payment structure based on number of flying hours for Kingfisher pilots rather than making a fixed payment as done earlier.

Previously, Kingfisher used to pay a fixed amount of Rs 4.3 lakh to its senior commanders who need to fly 70 hours a month. But after the merger with Deccan, it shifted to hourly-based payment system.