Aerospace Diary

AIN AIR TRANSPORT PERSPECTIVE  »  OCTOBER 29, 2012 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Kingfisher has lost the services of its Airbus A330-200s, one of which authorities impounded at London Heathrow Airport due to unpaid debts. (Photo: Airbus) October 29, 2012, 10:45 AM Striking pilots and engineers of India’s Kingfisher Airlines have accepted a three-month portion of their eight months of unpaid salaries and agreed to return to work, even as management struggles to get its suspended Scheduled Operator’s Permit   reinstated. Still, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh warned that paying salaries alone would not guarantee that Kingfisher would fly again.   “I think the Kingfisher problem is much bigger; even if they pay the salaries today, are they going to take off and fly? I don’t think so,” he said. “They have to give a very viable, financially sound plan, that they can maintain the schedule, pay the taxes, pay the oil companies, pay ...

Neelam Mathews Oct 25, 2012 That the way Kingfisher Airlines and the ministry of civil aviation are reacting to, and handling  the present  crisis, is something nobody is able to fathom. Give them that- they have kept the industry pondering and speculating.   Do they want to close the airline or not is the question. While we here at Aerospace Diary are a dot in this vast confused ocean of thoughts, we have believed for a year now that the carrier wants to bring its fleet strength to the five minimum to retain its license and slots. That would mean a staff strength of just 500 if they run on the Delhi-Mumbai route. This would also mean just having to retain 60 captains and copilots, 60 engineers,a crew of 100 and skeleton ground staff. So, all those employees in hope of getting their 8 month salaries and hoping to see crackers lit at Diwali, there may be some time time yet to open the bubbly. But, that’s just speculation………..

Neelam Mathews Oct 1, 2012 A press release from Kingfisher Airlines released late evening says "following a series of protracted and unabated incidents of violence, criminal intimidation, assault, wrongful restraint and other illegal acts ........ by a small section of recalcitrant employees, which were all unnecessary and unprovoked ,  the management has been forced to declare a partial lock-out at the airline, effective immediately. FYI- The small section are the guys that run the aircraft who haven't been paid for seven months- many whose kids have been pulled out of school because they can't pay their fees! Flight operations will be suspended upto October 4, says Kingfisher.Tickets on the website are available from Oct 5. But nobody knows how long the temporary lockout might actually last. All this comes in the background of Sid Mallya making desperate tweets for all to vote him as the GQ Digital Man of the Year and Mr Vijay Mallya tweeting-...

Neelam Mathews Oct 1, 2012 It is interesting to note that  after we published our blog on the mishandling of a manager at Mumbai airport by engineers not paid their salaries, the  PR division of Kingfisher woke up to the fact that the  " inconvenience that may be caused to our valued guests on account of this unprecedented action."  The press release of Kingfisher says: "   A section of employees of Kingfisher Airlines has not been reporting to work over the last fortnight and over the past 2 days, they have been threatening and even manhandling the other employees who are reporting to work as usual." So if they knew this was happening for two days, why did the airline not find the need to inform their "valued customers?"   "We are doing our best to minimize the impact of these anticipated disruptions," says the release. Really? Pray, tell us how. Now we're hearing the mantri (minister) talk of revoking Kingfisher's licen...

Neelam Mathews Sept 30, 2012 Even as we write, passengers are stuck inside Kingfisher aircraft that have landed at Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore as engineers are not permitting the doors to be opened, Aerospace Diary has learnt. This follows non-payment of salaries of engineers since March. An engineer in Bangalore told Aerospace Diary: "we heard that pilots have got their March salaries. What does the management think-that we are third class citizens?" We also hear that a senior manager of Kingfisher that went to appease the engineers in Mumbai was beaten up. One supposes, this is not enough for DGCA to clamp down on the ailing carrier as yet?

Does anybody care anymore?  From an AI engineer's point of view Neelam Mathews Sept 24, 2012 There is little doubt   there is dissatisfaction among the  ranks of the erstwhile Air India and Indian Airlines engineers, upset with the formation of the MRO subsidiary for which they were not consulted nor made aware of where they would stand in seniority. Like it or not, this could become a safety issue. Interestingly, most of the engineers we spoke to, had little confidence the AI MRO would make money “especially with the high taxes “and the incapable Air India Engineering Management.” “Unless the MRO is handed over to a professional management, it will not be able to breakeven even after 10 years,” moans an engineer. VRS is not applicable for licensed category of employees like AMEs. There is trepidation that while the government  has promised to protect salaries and extend financial support to the MRO for the first three years, th...