Jet employees stage demo, appeal to govt to bail out airline

Around 100 staff members of the ailing Jet Airways on Monday (April 22) staged a demonstration here, urging the government to intervene and bail out the airline.

Jet Airways had on April 17 announced temporary suspension of operations after it failed to receive emergency funds from lenders, leaving about 23,000 employees to face a bleak future. On April 22 evening, the employees, dressed in their uniforms, staged the demonstration at Town Hall in the heart of the city. Holding aloft placards, they raised slogans like Save our families, save Jet Airways, Dont make us cry, give a chance to fly and Humko Tum Na Dhoka Do, Udne ka ek Mauka Do (Dont ditch us, give a chance to fly). We pay loads of tax, Dont get us under the Axe and We have dependents to feed, please dont let our 9W bleed read the messages in some of the placards.

Milind Paradkar, an engineer with Jet Airways, urged the government to infuse some funds to keep Jet Airways afloat. “We want the government to infuse some funds instead of our aeroplanes being taken over by other airlines and being flown over by them,” Paradkar told PTI.

He said there were rumours that somebody has shown willingness to take over Jet Airways, but the employees have no information who that is. “The government has to be transparent. Presently employees are not being informed. They are in the dark,” Paradkar said.

Other demonstrators said they had not received salaries for the past three months and had somehow been managing their family needs. Some among them said they had previously worked with the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

On April 20, the employees had written to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking their intervention to recover outstanding dues as well as to expedite the process of emergency funds for the airline.