Employees of Jet Airways demonstrated outside the Delhi airport to press their demands
Over 500 employees of Jet Airways on Saturday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in saving the airline, which has not been able to pay salaries to its pilots and engineers for the last three and a half months.
The employees of the debt-ridden airline demonstrated at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) to press for their demand.
"Pilots and engineers have not got their salary for the last three and a half months. Livelihood of over 23,000 people is at stake. We request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter and save the airline," said Captain Ashwini Tyagi.
Terming the airline an asset for the country, Captain Rajeev Handa said: "This airline took India's hospitality to the world. Not only employees but our passengers also want this airline to survive given its unmatched services."
Citing the figure of mere seven operational aircraft out of 127 aircraft in its kitty, Station Manager Abhijeet Angolkar said: "It is holiday season and air fares are skyrocketing due to this crisis as most of our aircraft have been grounded. Its survival is vital for the public as well as the industry."
Praising the management for having allowed employees to seek jobs in other airlines, Captain Tyagi said: "Nobody wants to leave this airline. That is only why we have been working without salaries for months now."
Exhibiting optimism that the crisis would be resolved, Captain Tyagi said: "We have heard that there are eight bidders in the fray. We hope that soon people will see Jet Airways aircraft in the sky."
On Friday, Jet Airways cancelled international flights till April 15.