Kingfisher cancels 40 flights after pilots fail to turn up

Beleaguered Kingfisher Airlines faced fresh trouble today with several pilots and staffers failing to report for duty protesting delay in salary payment, forcing it to cancel 40 flights and club several others.

Several pilots and other employees did not report for duty at many stations forcing the airline to cancel 11 flights from Mumbai, nine from Delhi, five from Kolkata among others, besides clubbing several services, airport sources said.

Acknowledging disruption in its schedule, a Kingfisher spokesperson said the airline operated 140 flights or 80% of its schedule today "despite all challenges".

Maintaining that cancellations and clubbing were "a result of employee agitation on account of delayed salaries", he said the delays were also caused by freezing of bank accounts by the tax authorities. "We are making all possible efforts to remedy this temporary situation."

The spokesperson said the "the flight loads have reduced because of our limited distribution ability caused by IATA suspension".

Badgered from all sides, Kingfisher was last week suspended for non-payment of dues from three IATA platforms affecting its passenger and cargo bookings through agents.

The global airline body IATA had suspended it from participating in its Clearing House, Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) and Cargo Accounts Settlement System (CASS) for non-payment of dues.

The freezing of the airline's bank accounts by the income and service tax authorities, as also by customs and excise department, has dealt a severe blow to it, by squeezing its liquidity position.