Strike causes Jet Airways to cancel flights

A mass unofficial strike has caused India’s Jet Airways to cancel scores of their flights. The action has stranded passengers across the country, in some cases causing angry standoffs between them and airline staff. It is thought to be over two pilots that were sacked by the airline and the National Aviators Guild of India has been demanding the pair be returned to their jobs.

Jet Airways and the Guild have been in talks and were scheduled to reconvene on the 14th September, but it now seems the pilots have acted and around 600 of them have called in sick sparking chaos in India after the Guild had threatened strike action. A spokesman for the pilots has said the strike is set to last until their demands have been met.

Passengers that have been left stuck have been accommodated in hotels where there is availability while the airline tries to resolve the problem, but there was an estimated 13,000 passengers stranded. For now flights to the US and Europe are operating as normal but if flyers have connections within India they could encounter some delays.

The Indian carrier is not immune to controversy when last year they announced they were to cut 1,900 staff in an effort to save money. After a public outcry and reports that they would be refused landing in Mumbai they reinstated the sacked employees.