Govt asks pilots, Jet management to resolve the issue urgently

Civil Aviation Secretary M Madhavan Nambiar, who met Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal this morning, said he has "requested them (Jet Airways management) to talk to pilots and come to a resolution."
Nambiar said he had held a series of meetings during the day to ensure an early end to the problem created by over 300 pilots going on mass medical leave in protest against the management's decision to sack two of their colleagues.
"We have impressed upon the sense of urgency... The management understands this and pilots also understand this. That is why pilots are meeting the DGCA this evening," he said.
"Something is happening. Let us wait till evening," he said, adding that "we will ensure that this is resolved... we will like to ensure that this does not go on for too long".
The priority before the government is to reduce the passengers' inconvenience to the minimum, he said while pointing out that 184 Jet flights have been cancelled since morning, affecting 13,000 passengers.
To a question, he said there was chaos as there was no operational plan in place.

Protesting the management's decision of sacking two senior pilots -- Capt Sam Thomas and Capt Balaraman, over 300 pilots of Jet Airways reported sick this morning.
The airlines had last month terminated their services after they along with others formed a trade union body -- National Aviator's Guild (NAG) -- in the company.
The union had termed the sackings "an act of vendetta" and demanded the reinstatement of the pilots.
Maintaining that NAG was not demanding a pay hike but the reinstatement of the two pilots, Guild President Captain Girish Kaushik said the Jet management had agreed to the demand on the condition that NAG is dissolved.
"They want us to dissolve the Guild, which I feel is not fair," Kaushik told reporters in Mumbai.
Asked if government would take any action against the pilots, Nambiar said, "DGCA would find out whether their action has violated the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR). We have to see what are the options, then only action could be initiated."
Nambiar said the Ministry has asked the airlines to set up Control Offices at their headquarters, bases, offices and airports. Also, to put in place a full refund mechanism without any deduction at the passengers request and take care of their amenities to minimise their inconvenience.