4 KFA flights cancelled amid talk of pilot strike

Crisis-stricken Kingfisher Airlines had to cancel four flights from Mumbai on Monday as around 50 of its staff in Mumbai, including pilots, cabin crew and engineers, struck work after not being paid salaries for the last five months.

However, the airline said that the flights were cancelled due to ‘maintenance issues’.

“There is no strike, the flights have been cancelled because of maintenance work,” said an airline spokesperson. Some pilots contacted by FE confirmed that that nearly 50 of the airlines’ staff in Mumbai struck work.

“Around 50 people, including pilots, engineers and cabin crew, stayed off duty today since we haven’t been paid our salaries since February,” said a pilot on condition of anonymity. “Since we don’t have a union, there’s no consensus among the staff as to what action to take.”

Kingfisher Airlines only operates 120 flights a day, nearly a third of what it was doing last summer, with 15 operational aircraft. The strike could become large-scale with nearly 200 pilots likely to go on strike this week. “We are meeting the management and if no concrete assurances are given on salary payments, we will go on strike,” the pilot quoted above added. “Engineers and cabin crew will also join us for the strike.” The Vijay Mallya-owned airline’s management, chief executive officer Sanjay Agarwal and chief financial officer A Raghunathan, met the staff late on Monday evening bu the talks failed to provide a breakthrough.

"Since February, we have been told that investors have been lined up and, once FDI in aviation comes, the airline will be healthy again," said an airline engineer on condition of anonymity. "But nothing has happened and it doesn't look like anything will happen. We will continue the strike tomorrow and urge Kingfisher employees in other centres to join us," he said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/4-kfa-flights-cancelled-amid-talk-of-pilot-strike/969553/