CARRIER LETTING GO OF PILOTS WHEN RIVALS ADDING CAPACITY Jet Leaves 350 Pilots High and Dry, Cuts Salary Citing Lesser Workload Decision comes after Jet overestimated need for pilotsand hired more than what was required MihirMishra@timesgroup.com New Delhi: OnJune15,Jet Airways informed about 350 pilots hired during thepastone year aboutasalary cut caused by Jesser work load dueto‘fleetand network rationalisation’ by the company. ‘They were among the 400pilots recruited in batches of 200after the management last yearesti- matedahigher requirement of pilots to tide overapossible shortage. “As you arewell aware bynow, aviation isa greatly exciting but dynamic industry.Itrequires its stakeholders to beflexibleand take constant measure to ensure sustenance and longevity. Over the past few months, we have been intensely focused on fleet andnetworkrationalisation, and working out costefficiencies, while assuminga quality ex perience for our customers, toindustry conditionsora ‘Themanagementdidnotwantto internaland external. As partof dramatic change in Jet’sfinanci- take chancesas pilot shortage this exercise, we have had to alperformance, Airline officials would have hampered opera- ‘manpower require- pelieve that Jetoverestimated tions, and immediately decided ments...,” says thedetletter to theneed for pilots and hired to hire 200 first officersfor ATR: pilots about pay cuts from Au- more than what was actually and Boeing 737 aircraft,” asenior pustl. required. airline executive, whodidnot Asmall but important issue in “The estimation went way off want to be identified, told ET. He this wholeexercise is thatthe themark due to wrong numbers, said that another 200were hired problem may not have been due ‘by therostering department. early this year Air Traffic Grows reasons cited by-Jet for pay'cuts 400 pilots were hired for ATR'and Boeing 737 fleet after shortage reported by rostering department Shortage was later =, over9.6 12.4%inJuly Indian‘carriers flew 12.4% more pas- sengers during July. Indian carriers together carried lion passengers, registering about 12.43% growth Ilion passengers the same month last year. >> PAGES