Jet Airways treats Indian pilots in 'step-motherly' manner: National Aviators Guild

Pilots' body NAG on Wednesday claimed that Jet Airways is treating Indian pilots in a "step-motherly" manner compared to their expat counterparts on the rolls.

Demanding swift action against alleged racist approach of the expat pilots at the airline, the National Aviators Guild (NAG) called for disallowing such pilots in the cockpit.

The grouping's statement follows its direction on April 15 asking its members not to fly with the expats in the cockpit after one of the foreign pilots allegedly assaulted a trainer in Bengaluru recently.

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Jet Airways has some 60 expat commanders, who mainly operate its Boeing 737 and ATR fleet. In a strongly-worded statement, NAG said disparaging, inappropriate and racist comments allegedly made by certain expat pilots cannot be taken lightly.

"This is in addition to the verbal and physical abuse of a senior trainer by an expat pilot employed by the airline," NAG claimed. "The management has for a very long time treated the Indian employees, including the pilots, in a step-motherly manner and has disregarded the legitimate expectations of its employees to be treated fairly, reasonably and in a just manner."

A Jet Airways spokesperson did not offer any immediate comment on the NAG allegations when PTI sought a response over phone. The guild claims representation of nearly 1,000 pilots of the total around 1,500 pilots in Jet Airways. The Naresh Goyal-promoted airline had witnessed a 5-day long strike by NAG in September 2009 over the issue of forming the union.

According to the statement, Jet Airways management needs to respond swiftly and ought to issue a diktat to said expat pilots to apologise or else leave forthwith.

Stressing on the need for collective action, NAG said the airlines reputation cannot be "tarnished by racist and hateful comments made by certain misguided foreign nationals".

On April 15, NAG has issued a directive to all its members not to fly with the foreign pilots in the airline from May 1.

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