Jet Airways employees staged protest outside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Wednesday morning. Mumbai police personnel were also present at the scene to handle the situation. The protesting crowd held posters saying ‘Save Jet Airways”. Jet Airways is facing a massive financial crisis due to which thousands of employees have lost their jobs. Currently, the company has stopped its services and grounded many of its airlines.
Maharashtra: More visuals from Jet Airways employees’ protest at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/Xkm05Xwadx
— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2019
Jet Airways defaulted on payment to its debenture-holders–the third default since January–even as airline chairman Naresh Goyal assured the employee of a resolution in the immediate possible time, but said more time is needed to clinch bailout.
Goyal, in a letter to the 16,000 staff, said talks with the airline’s strategic partner Etihad Airways and SBI-led lenders are going on. Though Goyal sought more time to clinch the deal, he did not offer a timeline for the same.
For the past few weeks, its passengers have been venting their ire on social media as its flight cancellations have increased gradually due to the rising number of planes getting grounded. The pilots with other senior staff are to get their full salaries of January and February besides 87.5 percent of the December pay. The acute liquidity crunch has forced it to ground aircraft, shut down stations and delay salary payments to its pilots and engineers along with other senior staff.