Friday, September 11, 2009

DTN News: India's Jet Airways Pilots 'Ill' For Second Day

DTN News: India's Jet Airways Pilots 'Ill' For Second Day *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) MUMBAI, India - September 10, 2009: Hundreds of pilots of India's private airline Jet Airways have reported sick for a second day, leading to the cancellation of more than 100 flights. Hundreds of passengers have been stranded at various airports, leading to angry confrontations. On Tuesday, 13,000 passengers were stranded as 154 domestic and 32 international flights were cancelled. The pilots are protesting against the dismissal of two senior pilots last month by the airline. The pilots' union, the National Aviator's Guild, has been demanding the reinstatement of the pilots. 'Damage the airline' Most morning flights operated by Jet Airways - India's second largest private airline - were cancelled on Wednesday. A spokesman said their flights to Europe, the United Kingdom and North America were, however, on schedule. India's national airline Air India lent a helping hand by flying the Sri Lanka-bound national cricket team to Colombo for a tri-series, the Air India said in a statement. The protest has stranded thousands of passengers at airports across India. On Tuesday, Jet Airways went to court in an attempt to get its pilots back to work. The airline says the protest will "damage the airline's operations and inconvenience the travelling public". A spokesman for the pilots' union has said the protest would continue until their demand was met. The airline has been mired in controversies in recent months. Last year, it announced plans to lay off 1,900 staff to cut costs. But after days of protests by employees, the government persuaded the airline to take them back. India's once-booming aviation sector has been hard hit by soaring costs, mainly due to global fuel-price rises.

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