21,200 aviation sector employees lost job due to pandemic: Govt

NEW DELHI: In a shocking revelation, the government has stated in Lok Sabha that about 21,200 employees lost their jobs in the aviation sector due to the pandemic in the period from March 31, 2020, to March 31, 2021, as domestic carriers witnessed a job loss of 7,900 employees and 13,300 staff working in the ground handling segment became jobless in the mentioned period.

As per the details provided by Minister of State for Aviation Gen (retd) VK Singh, the total number of employees of domestic carriers have declined from 74,800 to 66,900 and the strength of ground handling staff reduced from 38,330 to 25,400 in the period from March 31, 2020, to March 31, 2021.

In a written reply to a question asked by Lok Sabha MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, the Union Minister stated that the total number of employees in cargo has increased from around 9,550 to around 9,930 registering an increase of around 380 employees, which accounts for just 4 per cent rise.

In reply to a question on salary cut by a number of airlines during the pandemic, the minister said that some of the airlines had rationalised the payment of allowances in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“In the case of Air India, there was no salary cut for employees drawing salary less than Rs 25,000 per month, while Air India Express had reduced allowance of the pilots by 40 per cent. It also cut flying allowance by 35 per cent, 20 per cent reduction in the domestic layover allowance of cabin crew and 7.5 per cent reduction from the gross salary of the staff of grade deputy manage and above,” he said.

“The Alliance Air Aviation implemented a 40 per cent reduction in the total salary of expatriate pilots and 5 per cent reduction on the gross salary of other ground staff. The subsidiary of Air India also reduced flying allowances of commanders and co-pilots by 20 hours in a month,” he said.

The minister further said that private airline Indigo implemented pay cuts ranging from 2.5 per cent to 48 per cent for employees in managerial levels and above and Air Asia reduced the salary of employees drawing salaries higher than Rs 50,000 per month. As per the reply, as of now, salaries have been restored by the private airlines.