Air Sahara pilots on flash strike

En masse leave seen to be in protest against takeover by Jet Airways

BY A CORRESPONDENT
February 13, 2006

Air Sahara pilots went on a flash strike on Sunday, throwing flights out of gear. As many as ten Air Sahara flights from New Delhi were cancelled on Sunday morning, as the pilots reported sick, en masse.

Resentment among Air Sahara pilots against the Jet Airways acquisition of Air Sahara is believed to have triggered the flash strike. No reasons were given by the pilots who did not turn up for duty.

Some of the passengers were accommodated in Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines. But many were stranded at the Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi.

Why the sudden strike? The answer may lie in a Mid-Day news report dated February 10, which said that Jet Airways is interviewing Air Sahara pilots again to find their suitability to continue in the job. It may be remembered that Jet Airways' acquisition of Air Sahara is still awaiting several regulatory clearances.

According to the report, Jet Airways HR officials had a meeting in Delhi on February 9 with Air Sahara airport managers of all places where Sahara flies and apprised them of the interview procedure. Jet said it is part of the company''s plan to familiarise Air Sahara employees about Jet Airways and its plans.

When the Jet Airways takeover of Air Sahara was announced, Air Sahara chief Subroto Roy had said that no Air Sahara employee would lose his job. He had sent a message to all Air Sahara employees that those who did not find employment with Jet Airways will be absorbed into the Sahara Parivar. At the same time, Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal had said that employees will be accepted only on the basis of merit.

Delhi airport was witness to another chaos this weekend, when thick fog prevented flight takeoffs and landings there.