Aviation: Jet Airways salary controversy now hits these employees

After delaying salary to its pilots and engineers along with senior management, Jet Airways has now defaulted on the payment of September salary to other categories of employees as well, an airline source said Wednesday. The Mumbai-based full-service airline, partially owned by UAE national carrier Etihad Airways, has been facing financial problems for quite some now.

The Naresh Goyal-controlled airline is struggling to mop up funds to meet its payment obligations, including salaries to its over 16,000-strong workforce. "We generally get our salary on the 1st of (every) month. Last month, the airline had paid to all employees except senior management, pilots and engineers on time.

"But this time (September), they have failed to pay even to other categories of employees such as manager and above levels," the source said.

The source said the employees in A1-A5, O1 and O2 grade, or whose salaries are up to Rs 75,000 per month, were paid on October 1, while the rest of the staffers in the M1, M2, E1 and above grades have not been paid yet.

A query sent to Jet Airways on the issue did not elicit a written response.

On September 6, the full service airline informed senior employees that their salaries would be paid in two instalments till November.

The salaries for August was to be paid in two instalments 50 per cent by September 11 and the remaining by September 26.

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Though the private carrier paid the first tranche on time, it could disburse only 50 per cent amount of the second instalment on the designated date and deferred the payment of rest 50 per cent to October 9.