Mumbai: Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways, which is facing a severe cash crunch, has failed to give any firm date for payment of September salary to its senior management, pilots and engineers, a PTI report quoted sources as saying.
On September 6, after it defaulted on payment of August salary, the airline had informed that the salary of these three categories of staffers would be paid in two tranches — on 11th and 26th of the month — till November. Therefore, the August salary was to be paid on September 11 and September 26 while September salary on October 11 and October 26, and so on.
Though it paid the first tranche of 50 per cent of August salary on September 11, it paid the remaining 50 per cent in two instalments - on September 26 and October 9. Now, the airline is yet to pay the first instalment of the September salary three days after the designated date, the source said.
In a communication to these categories of staffers Sunday evening, the airline said it was "working" towards a solution (for payment) but did not not give any specific date. "First of all, we would like to apologise for the delayed payment of your salaries and appreciate your patience in this matter. We remain committed towards your dues and profusely thank you for doing what you do for Jet Airways every day," Jet Airways chief people officer Rahul Taneja said in the communication.
"...we have met with the pilots' representatives and are working towards a solution, which will be communicated in the coming week," he said in the email.
The spokesperson of Jet Airways could not be contacted for comments.
A DNA report also quoted sources as saying that the airline has grounded three planes to stay afloat. "Three A330s have been grounded: one in Chennai, one in Abu Dhabi and one in an undisclosed location in Europe. Hence six routes have been reduced. The aircraft could have been grounded for reducing capacity, and not routes,” the report quoted a source as saying.
Meanwhile, a group of Jet Airways pilots has expressed unhappiness with some of their leaders in the union, National Aviator's Guild (NAG), accusing them of not doing enough to force the management pay salary dues.
"Some of the NAG leaders are not doing enough, not taking enough steps to deal with the situation and force the management to pay our pending salary dues," said a pilot.
A query sent to NAG vice president Asim Valiani on the issue remained unanswered.
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