Jet to lay off 1,100 more employees

Jet Airways is planning to continue with lay offs and said it would cut an additional 1,100 jobs.

Saroj Dutta, executive director of Jet Airways, said: "We are not the only company who found this necessary... This is not new. We are trying to save the company."

Dutta added the lay offs would help the company function and reduce cost. "This is not the only step we are taking... We have talked about curtailment of routes. We are cutting down operating costs. I think, in the last 15 years, our operations have resulted in enormous benefits for the country. The crisis has been evolving... everything has not happened simultaneously. You develop measures as you go on. The industry has been requesting the government for a lot of measures like steps on fuel prices..."

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray met the sacked employees of Jet Airways today, and warned the management of the airline...

In reponse to the statement issued by Jet Airways, Thackeray said: "We will meet the Jet managment tomorrow. If they do not agree to our demand and take the sacked employees back, we won't let a single Jet flight take off from Mumbai and Maharashtra."

Earlier in the day, Jet Airways confirmed it would lay off 800 flight attendants. Chief Executive Officer Wolfgang Prock Schauer attributed it to the turbulent times in the aviation industry. “...Personnel hired for the expansion, probationers and unconfirmed personnel (who have been recently hired) will have to be released,” the statement said.

Jet Airways’ winter schedule will offer 15% fewer services, he added.

The statement said the domestic market has declined by double-digit figures in recent months, and Jet Airways’ long-haul expansion had to be pruned down due to international developments.

Jet Airways expects these difficult market conditions to continue for some time, he said.

The other categories include probationary and unconfirmed personnel in other areas including cockpit crew and management personnel to reflect the lower number of flights and seats offered. He said that the move to lay off personnel did not stem from the planned alliance with Kingfisher.