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Crisis at Indian airline Jet Airways worsens as government steps in and pilots threaten strike
- The beleaguered airline, which has a fleet of 119 according to its website, has been forced to ground two-thirds of its planes as it awaits a debt restructuring
- Its collapse could put about 23,000 jobs at stake and dent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image ahead of his re-election bid
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A crisis at Jet Airways – once India’s second-biggest airline – deepened on Tuesday as an increasingly worried government called for an emergency meeting, angry passengers demanded refunds and pilots threatened to go on strike over unpaid salaries.
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India’s civil aviation minister, Suresh Prabhu, asked his officials to call for a meeting to discuss grounding of flights, advance bookings, cancellations, refunds, and any potential safety issues, at the cash-strapped carrier.
Saddled with debt of more than US$1 billion, Jet Airways is struggling to stay aloft. It has delayed payments to banks, suppliers, pilots and lessors – some of whom have started cancelling their lease deals with the airlines.
Forced to ground aircraft and cancel hundreds of flights as it awaits a restructuring of its debt, the airline is currently operating only 41 aircraft – just a third of its original fleet – according to India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
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Passengers have been left stranded, with many taking to social media to voice their angst.
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