Pilots, senior executives exit Jet Airways in large numbers amid uncertainty

New Delhi: Some of Jet Airways' senior executives, pilots, and cabin crew have reportedly quit the grounded airline as doubt about its revival grows, according to reports. There are rumours that a few senior officials have been placed on unpaid leave, and the airline's CEO Sanjiv Kapoor and CFO Vipula Gunatilleka continue to work but get a wage cut.

In June 2021, the Jalan Kalrock consortium was chosen as the successful bidder for Jet Airways under the insolvency resolution procedure. The airline is still unable to fly despite employing industry professionals to launch operations.

According to insiders, the airline's vice president of engineering and human resources has resigned. As several operating airlines are on a hiring spree, some pilots and cabin personnel have also departed the airline in search of better chances.

It was hard to verify specifics regarding the airline's current employee count. According to PTI, a senior airline executive claimed that all stakeholders and customers would benefit greatly from a revived Jet Airways. Prior to this, the carrier had cut several employees' salaries and placed many others on unpaid leave due to uncertainties about its future direction, NIE reported.

The consortium was ordered by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) to pay the carrier's employees' unpaid gratuity and provident fund payments in October. In light of this, the consortium stated on November 18 that managing cash flows may require "difficult" decisions in the near future.

“While we await the handover of the company as per the NCLT process, the longer-than-expected time being taken for the same may result in some difficult but necessary near-term decisions to manage our cashflows to secure the future, while the airline is still not in our possession,” it had said.