Jet Airways sacks three pilot, calls strike illegal

New Delhi, Sep. 8 (ANI): Jet Airways, which had to cancel 190 flights by 2 p.m. on Tuesday due to mass sick leave taken by its pilots, has sacked three pilots.

The airliner has called the agitation illegal, and has secured a restraint order from Bombay High Court against any strike.

"The Bombay High Court has passed an order restraining any kind of strike," Jet CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer was quoted as saying.

"We were assured by the National Aviators Guild last night that there would be no strike and we went by this assurance. But we were shocked by the mass sick leave by about 360 pilots... it is nothing but a simulated strike," he added.

The Jet pilots have been protesting the sacking of two of their colleagues by the management for reportedly joining the guild.

Asked what action the management would take against the striking pilots and if the two-sacked pilots could be reinstated, Prock-Shauer declined to comment.

Prock-Schauer also said that he was confident about normal services by Wednesday.

"The matter is on in the Labour Commission and we would not like to comment," he said.

Jet Airways had earlier sought the Directorate General of Civil Aviation"s (DGCA) intervention to resolve the crisis.

Last month, Jet Airways had terminated the services of two of its senior most pilots, saying their services were not required after both formed a trade union body within the company.

A conciliatory meeting was called on August 31 between the Jet Airways management and the union, which claims to have representation of over 650 pilots.

Jet Airways has 1000 pilots on its rolls.

Although the National Aviators Guild (NAG) has decided not to go on the proposed strike, its members have decided on an alternate course of protest like going on mass casual leave to hamper operations of the private carrier. (ANI)