Air fares soar as Jet pilots, management stand ground

MUMBAI: Air passengers continue to be buffeted by the ill wind blowing between Jet Airways and its pilots. As more pilots called in sick on the second day of the strike on Wednesday, fliers faced the prospect of paying through their nose on domestic routes.

The fares being quoted by other airlines were a throwback to the 1990s, with seats on certain sectors like Mumbai-Delhi being sold for an average of Rs 9,000-10,000, and some others going up to Rs 15,000. The airline cancelled about 296 flights, taking the total number of cancellations in two days to over 480.

The day brought little respite for the pilots as the airline not only stuck to its stand, of not taking back the dismissed pilots, but went on to sack more pilots. Although Jet officials maintained that only two pilots have been sacked so far, pilots said the number of dismissals exceeds five.

The sackings failed to break the stir, about 400 pilots reported sick on Wednesday. Jet chairman Naresh Goyal was blunt: "They are behaving like terrorists. They cannot hold the country, passengers, the airline hostage."