NEW DELHI: With over 60 per cent of pilots across Kingfisher’s network refusing to fly, the airline cancelled as many as 30 flights on Monday.
The company clubbed many flights while making their Delhi-based pilots operate the Mumbai and other region flights. The pilots said they were under severe duress and not in a proper state of mind to fly.
Many pilots, who had quit and joined other airline, are being asked to pay up a salary of six months. A Kingfisher spokesperson said, “The flight loads have reduced due to our limited distribution ability caused by the IATA suspension. We are now clubbing some of our flights. Some others are cancelled due to staff agitation, caused by delayed salaries.
This is the result of the freezing of our bank accounts.” The spokesperson was optimistic that 80 per cent of the planned schedule will be in order. Kingfisher also has a plan to withdraw from its international destinations such as Bangkok, Dhaka, Kathmandu and London in their summer schedule, effective in April.
As per information on the CAPA, the carrier has already halted services to Singapore.
It will also cancel daily Kolkata- Bangkok and Delhi- Kathmandu services.
Other cancellations will be daily Delhi-London Heathrow service from April 10 and Mumbai-London Heathrow service from April 16.