Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Apr 15: Jet Airways' pilots appealed to the State Bank of India to release funds of Rs 1,500 crore to the airline, trade union National Aviator's Guild said here on Monday.
The trade union also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help in saving 20,000 jobs at stake. The SBI-led group of lenders had last month taken control of the airline and agreed to provide an immediate funding support of Rs 1,500 crore according to news agency Press Trust of India.
Only 6-7 planes of the airline are operating, while its entire fleet is being grounded due to non-payment of rentals to lessors amid severe lack of cash.
"We would like to appeal to SBI to release Rs 1,500 crore funds for the airline to help it continue operations. We also appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to save 20,000 odd jobs at the airline," National Aviator's Guild ( NAG) vice president Adim Valiani told reporters at the airline's headquarter, Siroya Centre, here on Monday.
The airline's pilots along with engineers and senior staff were last paid for December 2018. This apart, the airline has also defaulted on the March salary of other categories of employees as well, says the report.
An SBI-led consortium of lenders had taken management control of the airline post a debt-recast deal last month, following which the lenders had proposed to instill as much as Rs 1,500 crore to the carrier to keep it afloat till the time it gets an investor.
The Jet Airways' management is meeting its group of lenders, led by the State Bank of India on Monday. In the meeting, it is expected to take a final decision on the quantum of funds to be infused immediately to avoid a shut down.