INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: Thirteen-month-old Akasa has sued over 40 pilots who resigned from it to join other airline/s in the past couple of months
The virtual exodus has forced the airline, which started flying last August, to cancel several flights since last month
As a result, its August 2023 domestic market share had slipped behind that of cash-strapped SpiceJet which it had overtaken in June
Akasa is learnt to have sought about Rs 22 crore as compensation towards loss of revenue and reputation from the 43 pilots who it claims
contractual obligation like paying on time, they unanimously said the same should not be attempted to be enforced through the legal
requirement of a six-month notice period
So let he who has not sinned cast the first stone it terms of taking legal action against pilots who have quit without serving notice
their side of contractual obligation of paying employees salaries on time for month using the six-month notice period to stop their pilots
In an ideal world, the regulator should not intervene in such issues
The six-month notice period was brought in to protect consumer rights by avoiding schedule disruptions and people suddenly finding (a) the
flight they had booked has been cancelled and (b) they now need to buy sky-high spot fare tickets on other airlines
While that was the idea, the provision has also been misused by financially weak airlines to hold on to their staff without being able to
pay them in time for months on end
Unfortunately every few years big airline/s collapse globally and in India too, leaving scores of employees desperately looking for jobs
Most recently we saw that with GoAir
There is immense suffering then
Then are times when airlines are chasing employees and poaching happens
This cycle is unlikely to end
player (not taking into account regional carriers) there will hopefully be sone hiring discipline in coming years just like we have been
