NEW DELHI: The mood was sombre. They swayed between hope and complete hopelessness, a tear here and there, giving away the pain in their hearts and holding placards that said ‘Hear our cry, let 9W fly’. Wrecked and clueless on what the future holds, the employees of grounded Jet Airways gathered for a silent protest on Thursday.
Ankit Kapoor, 33 (name changed) flew countless flights over 11 years as a steward but faces an uncertain future with a newborn at home. “There’s no job in the offing,” he mumbled.
“While most international carriers are not even considering us, domestic ones are bluntly exploiting us. A leading carrier that I approached a few days ago said I am too old to join their crew,” Kapoor said.
Standing next to him, a newly inducted female steward said that everyone in her group had applied elsewhere, with no luck. “Let’s see what happens. I don’t know what to do when my savings are gone and I am still jobless,” she said, with tears trickling down her face.
“I loved working here. It was like a family to me. Every morning I looked forward to flying. Never dreamed that such a day would come,” she added“I am living on my provident fund,” said a pilot. “If we don’t receive our salaries in the next one-two months, I would have to break some of my investments,” he said.
Those who have taken loans are in dire straits. Many are considering pulling out their children from reputed schools, while some are worried over the medical bills of their parents.
Anxiety over Jet refunds
The Jet crisis has not only spoilt the travel plans of tens of thousands of flyers, it has also caused anxiety with money stuck in refunds, which may take weeks if not months to come by.