The airline claimed it is a short-term move to reduce costs and maximise fleet. A total of 70 to 80 pilots from the Boeing 737 and Bombardier Q400 fleets have been placed on an unpaid three-month leave of absence.
To reduce expenses, SpiceJet has chosen to place about 80 pilots on unpaid leave for a period of three months, persons with knowledge of the decision told Mint.
According to a person with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity, “up to 70-80 pilots from the Boeing 737 fleet and the Bombardier Q400 fleet have been placed on leave without pay for three months.”
According to the airline’s statement in response to Mint’s inquiry, it has chosen to temporarily reduce costs by putting some pilots on leave without pay for a period of three months.
According to the airline’s spokeswoman, this will allow the company rationalise pilot strength in accordance with its fleet of aircraft.
According to a directive issued on July 27 by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the airline is only permitted to conduct flights using up to 50% of its capacity (DGCA). From July 27, SpiceJet’s operations will be suspended for eight weeks, during which time it will continue to be closely monitored by the regulator. For the airline to be permitted to operate more than 50% of its departures outside of the eight-week window, it must have adequate technical support.Some people are disappointed by the airline’s most recent decision to place pilots on unpaid leave.
The source who was quoted remarked, “It has affected the morale of staff at the airline.”
“I’m thinking about leaving the aviation sector. I’m considering taking over the family business. The airline has now made this dramatic move, as if managing on pay that is less than pre-covid salary was not difficult enough.
The lengthy grounding of the MAX fleet led to a significant overstaffing of pilots at SpiceJet, the airline claimed. These pilots will return to duty as the induction of the MAX aircraft gets underway, it said.
