SpiceJet has put around 80 pilots on leave without pay for three months to cut costs. A source close to the airline said that around 70-80 pilots from the Boeing 737 fleet and the Bombardier Q400 fleet have been put on leave. It is a matter of concern and has impacted the morale of the employees at the airline.
The airline said that this is a temporary measure that will help the airline to rationalise pilot strength as per the aircraft fleet.
Currently, SpiceJet is flying at only 50% of its capacity as per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)’s orders. As per the order, SpiceJet's operations have been cut for eight weeks from July 27, during which it will remain under the regulator's enhanced surveillance. The airline has to demonstrate sufficient technical support to the aviation regulator for it to be allowed to fly more than 50 percent of departures beyond the eight-week period.
To make matters worse, SpiceJet is in dire need of funds. The grounding of the MAX fleet and the pandemic have severely impacted the airline. The airline said, “The prolonged grounding of the MAX fleet resulted in a large number of excess pilots at SpiceJet. We will be inducting MAX aircraft shortly and these pilots will be back in service as the induction begins. Meanwhile, during the leave without pay period, pilots will remain eligible for all other employee benefits as applicable like all opted insurance benefits, and employee leaves travel.”
"Even after placing certain pilots on leave without pay, SpiceJet will have sufficient number of pilots to operate its full schedule as and when the DGCA restriction on flights is lifted," the airline added.
However, sources tell us that this latest move by the airline has dampened the morale of the workforce and some pilots are considering quitting the job altogether.