Battling a clawing downturn enveloping the aviation industry, Jet Airways on Wednesday announced sacking of 1,900 of its employees across all operations.
"It is an unfortunate decision, which all of us in the company regret but it is an attempt to save the company and the jobs of the remaining employees," Jet Airways Executive Director B Saroj Dutta told reporters at the airlines headquarters in Mumbai.
"A total of 1900 people are being served separation notice. 800 have already been served notice. In the next few days the others will also be served notice. It is an attempt to save the jobs of remaining 11,100 employees," he said.
He said the decision to terminate the employees had nothing to do with the alliance entered into with Kingfisher.
"It (alliance) has nothing to do with the workforce of the companies. These are independent decisions of the two companies."
Kingfisher Airlines has laid-off nearly 300 jobs and may announce more cuts across the board in the coming days.
The airline chief Vijay Mallya gave enough hints of it, saying the company would do whatever it takes to cut costs.
Dutta said all sections and activities of the company were being covered by this action, which the airline said was inevitable in view of the declining traffic volumes.
Jet would talk to all sacked employees tomorrow. We have spent money in training them and would like to take them back when market conditions are good, Dutta said.
Asked about the alliance, he said there was no cartelisation. It is just rationalisation and cooperation.
"Companies in India and everywhere in the world do this."