Kingfisher flights may stall from today

New Delhi, Aug .7:  

The struggling Kingfisher Airlines’ operations from different parts of the country, including Delhi, could be affected from tomorrow.

A section of its pilots and engineers plans not to report to work to protest against non-payment of salaries. Kingfisher staff claim that some of them have not been paid for the last seven months.

A senior airline pilot confirmed that some employees in certain cities were planning to stay away from work. There is no clear picture on flights that would be affected and from which cities. This is largely because the pilots working in the airline do not have a union and hence cannot take a decision collectively.

“Pilots in Delhi met with the Chief Executive Officer and then spoke to their counterparts in Mumbai. We will not take to the skies from tomorrow,” a pilot said.

Kingfisher officials were not available for comment on how the situation is being tackled and whether salaries will be paid to ensure normal operations. Last month, the airline had issued a statement soon after a section of pilots refused to operate flights, saying that at least 75 per cent of the staff had been paid and that the rest will be paid soon.

“The remaining staff were assured that salaries would be paid by July 16. Despite this, a section of employees decided to stay at home,’’ the statement added. Even in the first week of July, pilots had threatened to go on strike over non-payment of salaries. The airline stock closed at a new low of Rs 8.71 on the BSE on Tuesday.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/article3739336.ece