INDIA: Jet Airways Stops Complimentary Meals For Passengers

Jet Airways has suspended complimentary meals option for passengers, who choose to fly in ‘Economy Light’ and ‘Economy Deal’ within India from September 25.

However passengers can buy their meals on-board from the airline’s menu. The customers will be served beverages – including tea and coffee – for free, Jet Airways issued a statement.

Earlier, the meal bill was included in the ticket fare for all the flyers, making the meals complimentary during the flight.

But following the suspension of free meal from September 25, the air tickets for the 2 categories – ‘economy light’ and ‘economy deal’ will be cheaper than the other categories.

The flight plus meal option for domestic flights will remain for ‘Economy Saver’, ‘Economy Classic’ and ‘Economy Flex’ and for all fare options in Premiere.

On international flights, all features and benefits under First Class, Premiere and Economy remain unchanged.

The past six months have been harrowing for India’s oldest private airline, Jet Airways.

Compounding its financial woes, the carrier plunged into fresh trouble this week over safety and tax issues.

The Naresh Goyal-promoted carrier has been in the red for two consecutive quarters and is also under market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) lens.

Jet’s issues are not particular to the airline but symptomatic of a larger malaise. The Indian aviation sector is facing economic headwinds in the form of rising global oil prices and a depreciating rupee.

Jet, for instance, had debt of Rs7,364 crore ($1.01 billion) on its books as of June. Given its precarious financial position, the airline was reported to have even considered slashing salaries.

On Sep. 19, it announced that there would not be free meals on economy class bookings done from Sept. 25.

March 2018, Jet Airways reports a loss of Rs1,036 crore in the Jan-March quarter as revenue declines and costs increase significantly. The company defers the March salaries of some employees citing circumstances beyond its control.

April 2018, Bows out of bidding for Air India citing the complex process.

May 2018, Government refuses to approve Jet’s merger with its subsidiary JetLite, nearly three years after the proposal was made.

June 2018, Jet announces new check-in baggage norms. The 15kg of free check-in luggage for economy class will have to be in one bag. Business class passengers can carry 30kg in two bags.

August 2018, Considers a 25% pay cut for employees.

August 2018, Indefinitely defers announcement of financial results for the April-June quarter of financial year 2019.

August 2018, On Aug. 12, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation announces an audit to assess Jet’s financial health. State Bank of India asks the firm to provide enough collateral for emergency funding.

August 2018, On Aug. 27, the company announces losses of Rs1,323 crore for the April-June 2018 period.

September 2018, On Sep.19, the income-tax department conducts surveys in the company’s Mumbai and Delhi offices over allegations of financial misappropriation.

September 2018, Sep. 20, around 30 passengers on a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Jaipur suffer nose and ear bleeding after the cabin crew forgets to activate the internal pressure control. India’s civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu orders a safety audit of all airlines and airports.


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INDIA: Air India, IndiGo Cancel Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad's Ticket

Moments after Shiv Sena MP from Osmanabad Ravindra Gaikwad refused to apologise for thrashing an Air India staff, the airline cancelled his return ticket from Delhi to Pune.

Shiv Sena Member of Parliament, Ravindra Gaikwad, in the news for slapping an Air India employee with his slippers, may be permanently barred from flying on the country's national carrier.

The Osmanabad MP has refused to apologise for his behaviour. According to latest reports, Air India has cancelled Gaikwad's return ticket from Delhi to Pune.

Following this, IndiGo too canceled Gaikwad's ticket.

The MP was booked on a 5pm flight, but the airline, which along with other private carriers has barred Gaikwad from flying with them, had cancelled the ticket.

The Federation of Indian Airlines, an industry body representing India's scheduled airline carriers, has blacklisted Gaikwad.

The FIA counts Jet Airways, IndiGo, Go Air, SpiceJet and JetLite as its members.

"Air India and FIA member airlines have decided to ban this Member of Parliament from flying on all our flights with immediate effect," FIA Director Ujjwal Dey, said in a statement.

Air India, meanwhile, has been mulling establishing a no-fly list of passengers with a history of bad behaviour while flying on the airline.

Once implemented, Gaikwad, who has remained defiant about the incident while admitting to assaulting the AI employee, would be on the list.

IndiGo and SpiceJet, meanwhile, have lent support to the idea of forming a nationwide no-fly list. "SpiceJet supports a no-fly list to bar unruly flyers who are a safety hazard for not just the crew but even the traveling public.

The government needs to act on this soon," SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh said.

"In the interest of the safety and security of our colleagues and other customers we also propose the promulgation of a "no fly" list which shall include the names of all unruly passengers," Dey said in the FIA statement.

Gaikwad, in an interview remained unapologetic about the incident, saying he is not in the wrong. "I do not regret (beating up the employee) and I will not apologise," Gaikwad said.

He went on to dare Air India to blacklist from flying on the airline, adding that if AI employees misbehaved with him again in the future, he will repeat his actions.

The Shiv Sena, meanwhile, has asked Gaikwad to explain his actions.

The incident took place Thursday at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport on Air India flight AI 852 after it reached the national capital from Pune.

Gaikwad got into an argument with the flight's staff over not being given a business class seat, despite having a ticket for the same.

The MP refused to leave the aircraft, which was on the tarmac and which had to leave for Goa, until senior airline officials met him.

Finally, after intervention from the ground staff, Gaikwad agreed to deboard the plane. He, however, got into an argument 61-year-old Surendra Kundu, an Air India customer services officer, at the arrival gate.

On being told by Kundu that Gaikwad, being an elected representative, should not behave in this manner, the MP got agitated and started slapping Kundu with his slippers.

Later in the day, when questioned by the media, the unrepentant Gaikwad boasted about how he knows how to 'fix' people's ego and said that he had hit Kundu not once, but "25 times".

Meanwhile, a new video has surfaced showing Gaikwad scolding DSP of Osmnabad, the MP's constituency, over a case involving missing Shiv Sena workers.

The MP can be heard shouting at the DSP, Chandrakant Khandvi, in Marathi, asking him to explain why the case is unsolved and questioning the need for a written complaint.

The video depicts events from March 21, just two days before Gaikwad got into the scuffle with the AI