Jet Airways employees considered taking over airline: NAG

Internal differences of opinion on employees taking over the management of Jet Airways did not permit pursuing the idea, but employees are ready to fully cooperate with any new investor for turning around the the financially crippled company, a senior official of the National Aviators Guild (NAG) said on Sunday.

The NAG is the union of Jet Airways' pilots.

"We had internally discussed the issue of employee management but there were differing views, and so decided not to pursue the matter," NAG Vice-President Asim Vallani told IANS over the phone.

When queried whether the employees volunteered for a pay cut in order turn the company around, Vallani said: "We are ready to work with the new investor and extend cooperation for the revival of the airline."

He said that their meeting on Saturday with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley went off well.

"The Minister did ask us why banks should lend more money to the airline. We told him there is adequate security for the loan. About Rs 980 crore is needed for the airline to start operations again. We asked him for Rs 170 crore towards employee salaries," Vallani said.

According to the union official, Jaitley was requested to ensure that slots in the possession of Jet Airways are not given away to any other airline, to expedite the bidding process, and to request the state-run Indian Oil Corp to extend six months credit for fuel supplies as was done earlier for SpiceJet .

--IANS

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