Jet cuts roster off days by half; union opposes move

On Wednesday, 25 international and domestic Jet Airways flights from the IGI Airport were delayed and two cancelled

To cope with a pilot shortage that has led to several flight delays in recent months, full-service carrier Jet Airways on Tuesday issued a directive to cut roster offs by half for all pilots flying Boeing B737 and ATR aircraft. However, the  National Aviator’s Guild, has told the management such a decision should have be made only after due consultations.

According to the letter, seen by Business Standard, the new rule is effective between February 1 and June 30 this year. As of now, pilots get a two-day break after every six days of duty.

“As you are aware, our fleet today is faced with the challenging task of enhancing the productivity of our pilots. The following steps are being taken with effect from February 1 until June 30,” the letter said. “The roster will be planned with six days on and a day off. No pilot requested flights for the given period. The procedure will be re-evaluated prior to June 31.”

Responding to emailed queries, a Jet Airways spokesperson said, “Jet Airways is focused on optimum utilisation of its resources to improve efficiency for the benefit of all stakeholders. With this in mind, we continuously review our operating procedures, while maintaining strict compliance with regulatory requirements.”

On Wednesday, 25 international and domestic Jet Airways flights from the Indira Gandhi International Airport here were delayed and two cancelled, according to the airline’s website. According to media reports, 150 flights were cancelled over a three-day period in October last year.

On Wednesday, the Jet Airways stock at Rs 440.3 on the BSE, up 1.4 per cent.