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| Jet Airways suspends international flights till April 15, chaos among passengers follows | | |
New Delhi
Jet Airways operations have seen sometimes a flight and sometimes a fight to keep the engines whirling.
A resident of Vile Parle in Mumbai shared his ordeal with Jet Airways.
Vile Parle resident Ajit had booked the return flights for his entire family with Jet Airways in February this year.
Things were not so bad for the airline back then. But now, with the one-time market leader making headlines on a daily basis, people like Ajit are worried.
To add to their worries are the Jet Airways customer service staff and the online booking portals that the passengers say aren't responding proactively.
"My wife and I have taken a three-week holiday from our office. My nine-year-old son is so excited. We have to meet our family members in the US and then go on holidaying at various places. But now I don't know what to do. Though our flight is in May but I am scared that our first out of India holiday might get cancelled," Ajit Sawant said.
"I had booked my tickets online through an agent but now I am not able to get in touch with the customer care staff. No one picks up the phone. The automation keeps you on hold for 20-25 minutes and then the call gets disconnected. I know they are doing it on purpose. Earlier, whenever we called they used to connect in one go. The agent has no concrete answers. The Jet staff too hasn't been of any help," Ajit Sawant said.
Amit Raut, another Mumbai resident, along with his 20 friends had booked tickets for a group trip to Paris, Munich, Zurich with Jet Airways (Paris to Munich and Zurich to Paris with Air France).
He said that the present state of affairs in Jet Airways has left him and his friends confused.
"If we cancel right now then they will charge a huge cancellation fee and it will take a lot of time for us to get the refund because they don't have money. If we don't cancel and the airline itself cancels at the last minute then the last minute booking will cost us a lot. We have already made bookings for our stay and places we will visit," Amit said.
India Today TV saw chaotic scenes in the early morning hours at the Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
There was a massive police presence outside the Jet Airways counters. Passengers complained that Jet Airways had cancelled flights at the last moment.
Chaos and confusion reigns among Jet Airways passengers | Photo courtesy: Pankaj Upadhyay
"My 6 am flight to Delhi has been cancelled and the staff says they will put me in other flight which is after 11 hours. When I asked them to provide me a hotel to stay they told me to roam around the airport," a passenger said.
One female passenger was so angry at the cancellation that she threatened to break the glass window of the airline counter.
Another passenger complained that his 7 am Mumbai-Kolkatta flight had been cancelled.
A Jet staff was seen pacifying the angry passengers but to little use. By noon a large number of Jet Airways employees gathered outside the terminal building to stage a symbolic protest.
Jet Airways employees shout slogans during protest demanding release of their salaries at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai | Photo from REUTERS
Jet Airways had yesterday (April 11) stopped all its international operations for a day but experts opine that in the current scenario, it will be hard for the airline to carry international operations.
The union of Jet pilots National Aviators Guild (NAG) has already decided to stage protest in full uniform on April 15.
Jet Airways has suspended international operations till April 15.
"Jet Airways has cancelled its international operations from April 12-15, 2019.
"The airline is working to minimise guest inconvenience using its 24x7 Contact Centre, Guest Relations and the Social Media response teams, to handle schedule adjustments, in line with defined regulatory guidelines, including offering re-accommodation choices or extending applicable refunds as the situation warrants.
"In parallel, the airline's management and its key stakeholders including its consortium of lenders, continue to work closely towards resolving the current situation.
"The airline regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests," Jet Aiways spokesperson said.
Sources said that the airline is now operating fewer than 10 aircrafts.
The SBI-led consortium has invited bids for Jet Airways. So far five-six firms have expressed interest in acquiring a stake in Jet Airways to bail it out of debt.
Sources say Naresh Goyal was also planning to bid for his own airline.
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