Naresh Goyal-led Jet Airways, which had in August offered pilots at its soon-to-be-ceased subsidiary, JetLite, an opportunity to join the parent airline, has taken back the offer seeking more time to come back with a better deal after JetLite pilots raised grave concerns with the management, two people familiar with the development said. None of them wanted to be identified.
On August 19, Jet Airways had issued an internal memo telling JetLite pilots that they would have to resign from their current jobs and apply afresh for a position with Jet Airways, on the condition that their previous flying experience would hold no value.
Though the parent airline assured JetLite pilots that their salaries would be protected, the latter were concerned about their future prospects following the memo. They feared that their growth prospects, including promotions, would be hampered under the new structure, which would place them at the bottom of the rank, even lower than Jet Airways? pilots with less experience. They were also worried they may be asked to shift base.
The announcement came after Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal had on August 13 said that his company, faced with mounting losses, will adopt a single-brand strategy and do away with the no-frills services offered under the JetLite brand.
Jet Airways? human resource (HR) department has sent out fresh emails stating the withdrawal of the notification pending further notice on September 12, two days after Jet?s management met some JetLite pilots.
The HR department, in its mail, informed the pilots that they will come back with an offer that provides better terms and conditions for JetLite pilots, these sources said.
?However, the airline has not given any timeline in this regard,? said one of them.
An email sent to the Jet Airways spokesperson on Wednesday afternoon didn’t elicit any response till press time.
FE had reported on September 11 that a representative of Etihad Airways, who was present at the September 9 meeting, had told JetLite pilots that the Abu-Dhabi based carrier may explore the possibility of absorbing some senior pilots from JetLite. Etihad is in the process of expanding its fleet and would require 200-250 additional pilots by next year.
Some senior JetLite pilots met Jet Airways? management again on September 16, but ?nothing fruitful came out of the meeting,? one of the sources said.
A JetLite pilot said on the condition of anonymity that several pilots of the airline had received offers from other airlines, including IndiGo, Qatar Airways, Vistara and AirAsia, but were waiting for the final outcome of deliberations with the management before taking a final call. FE couldn?t independently verify whether these airlines had made any offers to JetLite
pilots.
