Jet Airways suspends all its flights between UAE and India

Dubai, Sept 9 (PTI) Jet Airways has suspended all its
flights between the UAE and India after almost half of its
pilots did not report for duties protesting against sacking of
two of their colleagues in India.

The airline said it was forced to halt service between
Dubai and Abu Dhabi and the Indian cities like capital New
Delhi and financial hub Mumbai, a local news report said.

The sick-out by 361 of its 760 captains and first
officers also affected flights to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain,
Oman and Saudi Arabia, it said.

All passengers in the UAE stranded by the sick-out would
be accommodated on flights of Emirates Airline and Air India,
a Jet Airways official was quoted by Khaleej Times as saying.

About 13,000 passengers were affected, the airline said.

"The situation is very fluid right now but we are
closely monitoring the situation and will do everything
required to ensure minimum inconvenience to our customers,"
the airline said on Tuesday describing pilots' approach as a
"simulated strike".

A total of 186 flights -- 154 domestic and 32
international -- had been cancelled or affected throughout its
network, the airline said. The strike also grounded most of
the carrier's domestic flights.

However, all of its wide-body aircraft on long-haul
flights were operating normally, thanks to their foreign
pilots, who apparently did not participate in the sick-out.
PTI CORR