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A few weeks after Air Sahara’s sell-out to Jet Airways, a large number of pilots of Air Sahara yesterday (Feb 12) went on “mass leave” disrupting its flight operations in various airports across the country.
Although the officials of the private carrier were tightlipped, sources said at least 20 pilots went on “sick leave” in the capital, where more than 10 flights were cancelled yesterday.
Four flights of the airline were cancelled in Mumbai, where its counters remained closed in the wake of the pilots’ agitation.
In Kolkata, four flights had to be cancelled which included two between Kolkata and Delhi, one between Kolkata and Patna and the other from Kolkata to Lucknow via Gorakhpur.
Passengers booked on these flights expressed resentment. While tickets were refunded in some cases, arrangements were made to put up stranded passengers in hotels or send them to their destinations on other airlines, according to Sahara sources.
Officials claimed that flights could not be operated for “technical reasons” with the passengers being returned their money.
Flight operation was also affected in Chennai where the flight to Hyderabad was cancelled. The airline’s officials there claimed that it was due to “lack of flights.”
Scores of passengers were accommodated in Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines by Air Sahara’s ground staff in the Capital, sources said.
Top officials of Air Sahara said talks with pilots on the pay issue were continuing on a “positive note.”
Describing the strike as “unjustified,” a senior official said the merger would not result in any job loss for the pilots. “At this moment, our basic thrust is to accommodate the passengers on other flights and ensure they reach their destinations without much trouble.”
Many Sahara pilots have reportedly resigned after the merger.
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