Key Points
With budget airline Go First seeking voluntary insolvency, hundreds of its pilots are jumping ship after months of delayed salaries and other pending dues..
But pilots say that the rule is biased in favour of airlines, and that the DGCA has no locus standi to interfere in an employee-employer matter especially when it doesnt offer safeguards for pilots when an airline fails to meet its obligations such as payment of salaries...
While their new employer has demanded that they sign an indemnity form to protect itself from legal liabilities, pilots are apprehensive that Go First may not provide them a No Objection Certificate, along with other mandatory documents such as certified copies of logbooks that contain details of their flying hours, a no-incident/no-accident certificate, or even block them from withdrawing their airport entry passes so that they can procure a new one as employees of the next company...
Various pilot unions including the Federation of Pilots moved Delhi High Court in 2017 against the controversial DGCA rule, following which the Delhi High Court in July 2018 granted an interim stay on the implementation of the rule and restricted the DGCA from taking any coercive action against pilots..
It said that along with the long notice period, airlines also insisted that pilots pay a hefty bond or furnish open dated cheques which often forced dissatisfied and predictably mentally stressed pilots to continue working with their current employers against their free will..
