Jet Airways may lay off 100 expat pilots

Mumbai: Private carrier Jet Airways is expected to lay off 100 of its 240 expatriate pilots, airline sources said. As a first step, the private carrier has decided not to renew the service contracts of 27 pilots.
The move comes soon after the airline had to succumb to the political pressure to withdraw its retrenched cabin crew last month. Jet has been looking at cutting costs and right-sizing the organisation after it rationalised its fleet and cut routes, following the recent slowdown in the aviation industry. Expatriate salaries are at least 40 per cent higher than those of their Indian counterparts as a thumb rule in the industry. There has been discontent among Jet’s Indian pilots after the airline reduced their salaries.
Jet confirmed that notices have been served on some of the expatriate pilots. The pilots, whose service contracts have been terminated, are from the classic fleet – the Boeing 737 aircraft. The airline has grounded five of these aircraft.
Jet is also likely to do away with about 20 expatriate employees in the maintenance and engineering division.
The exact reduction in the number of expatriate employees will be clear once the airline decides on the fate of its wide-body aircraft – the Boeing 777-300ER.
06/11/08 Manisha Singhal/Business Standard