50 Kingfisher pilots strike work; flight operations hit

Passengers booked to travel on Kingfisher Airlines flights on Wednesday were left stranded, as a large section of the airline’s pilots and engineers did not report to work.

Passengers booked to travel on Kingfisher Airlines flights on Wednesday were left stranded, as a large section of the airline’s pilots and engineers did not report to work.

HT Image

This resulted in the cancellation of four scheduled departures and five in-coming flights.

Sources from the airline said pilots went on mass sick leave from midnight on Tuesday because the airline had not paid their February salaries, making it the seventh such agitation since December 2011.

Unlike previous protests, Kingfisher employees did not meet the management to sort out the problem.

“Our previous meetings with the management have not led to any outcome. So we will not resume work or talk to the management unless our salaries are paid,” a commander said, on request of anonymity.

While some senior commanders were paid salaries for February on July 15, many junior pilots were not paid, added sources. “We are struggling to run our homes,” said a co-pilot with the airline.

Travel agents said that the disruption did not affect many because very few people are choosing to travel on Kingfisher flights. According to the civil aviation ministry’s market share report for June, the debt-ridden carrier catered to only 4.2% of domestic fliers, which is the lowest in the country.