Bachchan Jr effect: DGCA queries Jet on flight delays, pilot no-shows

Aviation regulator DGCA has sought from Jet Airways details of the flights it had cancelled and delayed recently after some of its pilots reported sick amid an acute shortage of flight crew, particularly in its narrow body fleet.

Jet Airways has also been asked to provide details of the pilots who are "habitual" of reporting sick and disrupting the airline's schedule, an official said.

The Mumbai-headquartered airline, which is already facing paucity of pilots to carry out its operations in a smooth manner, had cancelled 50-odd flights on Tuesday and Wednesday after a section of its pilots did not turn up for duty despite being rostered in protest against the malfunctioning of its new crew rostering management system.

"We have asked Jet Airways to provide us details of the flights it cancelled on November 1 and November 2. It has been asked to provide the number of flights it cancelled as well as the number of pilots who reported sick," a senior DGCA official said today.

The airline has also been told to provide details of the pilots who do not turn up for duty and keep passengers waiting inside the aircraft.

Jet Airways requires at least 200 more pilots to carry out its operations in a seamless manner, with its Boeing 737 fleet taking the maximum hit due to the inadequate number of flight crew in the airline, sources had said.

Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan had last week hit out at the airline after his flight to Chennai from Mumbai was allegedly delayed due to non-availability of flight crew.

"Flying to Chennai. Baggage, check. Board flight on time, check. Seat belt fastened, check. Only thing we need now are our pilots!!...Well done Jet Airways!!! Entire plane boarded without any pilots on board. Still waiting and hoping...," he had said in a series of tweets over the nearly one-and-a-half-hour delay.

The full service carrier is the second largest airline in terms of number of domestic operations after the no-frills IndiGo, operating more than 600 domestic and international flights every day.

The airline at present has around 1,200 pilots to operate its fleet of 117 aircraft comprising Boeing 777s, B737s, Airbus A330s and ATRs. Almost two-thirds of its fleet consist of B737s.

As part of the winter schedule, which became effective from late last month, Jet Airways would operate 3,010 flights per week while its subsidiary JetLite 507 flights per week.