AT LEAST 12 Air Sahara flights were cancelled on Tuesday with pilots playing hookey. Employees maintained that the situation would only get worse with more pilots doing the same over the coming days. The management, however, kept hinting that the agitation would be called off "any minute now".
Air Sahara pilots have been expressing their dissatisfaction over the airline's proposed takeover by Jet Airways. An announcement that the new employer would absorb all Air Sahara pilots did not help as Sahara pilots have pointed out that their current pay is much higher than what pilots at Jet Airways get.
Talks between the Air Sahara management and pilots continued on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the airline has pressed into duty its executive pilots who usually command managerial posts.
In view of the protests, the airline has stopped taking passenger bookings for the next few days. Sources in the Air Sahara management indicated that legal action against the pilots was not being considered at this point.