Kingfisher flights axed due to engineers strike

Mumbai  :  Kingfisher Airlines faced fresh turbulence with about two dozen flights being cancelled following a strike by maintenance engineers, an airport official said Monday.

Aircraft maintenance engineers, whose aircraft airworthiness clearance is mandatory for any flight to take off, struck work suddenly Sunday night over non-payment of salaries and dues for almost six months.

A Kingfisher spokesperson confirmed the development and said: “They have been threatening, and even manhandling the employees who are reporting to work as usual.”

Anticipating large-scale disruptions in the flight schedules Monday (Oct 1), the airlines decided to cancel several flights on its network for the day, the details of which were not provided.

Some other flights were also delayed as the services of manager-engineers were used for the mandatory pre-flight clearance.

According to airport sources, aircraft maintenance engineers based in Mumbai and New Delhi, have demanded immediate payment of salaries and dues.

The airline, owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, has been facing grave financial crises and outstanding bank loans amounting to over Rs.7,000 crore.