Jet Airways cuts junior pilots’ salary, reduces working days

Indian airline Jet Airways, in a move to reduce salary expenses, has cut the salaries of a section of pilots. The airline has also told these pilots to take 10 days off every month and they will be paid only 70 per cent of their salaries.

“In a letter, the management has asked first officers (junior pilots) to take a pay cut of 30 per cent. We will take up this matter in our next meeting with the management,” news agency PTI quoted a source as saying.

According to the reports, the mandate is only for pilots who joined in last one year and for others any cut in salary or working days would be voluntary.

The Economic Times quoted a Jet spokesman confirming the “review of network, fleet and crew utilisation” as a result of “certain developments in the market, including that of the Gulf region, as well as our continued efforts to enhance internal efficiencies”.

The move will impact around 1500-2000 employees of Jet Airways.  A Jet Airways junior pilot or co-pilot with an experience of one year reportedly earns over Rs 2 lakh per month.