'Salaries yet to be paid despite assurances by Kingfisher'

"A good number of employees, including pilots and engineers, across bases have still not been paid despite the passage of the Monday deadline given by the management," the employees, requesting anonymity, said here.

The airline had cancelled over 40 flights on Saturday as pilots struck work to protest non-payment of salaries for five months. The management had then told the pilots to join work promising that their salary dues for the month of February would be paid on Monday.

The employees said the management has not given any reason for the delay so far.

The cash-strapped airline had on Saturday said that 75 per cent of its employees had been paid their February salaries and the remaining staff would be paid by Monday. It still owes four month salary to its employees, besides the February salary to several employees.

The day-long strike on Saturday had forced Kingfisher Chairman Vijay Mallya to shoot off a letter to his employees urging them to come back to work and warning them not to "disgrace" the company by talking to the media.

Later, the airline's Executive Vice-President Hitesh Patel sent another letter the same evening, saying "we have committed to you that your salary will be paid no later than Monday and I am standing by it. Over 75 per cent employees have already been paid." Following this, the employees had called off their agitation.

The airline is understood to have operated only 48 flights on July 14 following cancellation of 41 flights. As per the flight schedule Kingfisher has filed with the DGCA, the airline has to operate 110 flights per day.