With Kingfisher Airlines' operations floundering and losses rising, it is a Hobson's choice for many of its employees – should they stay with the airline and wait for better days to return or join another carrier to ensure that they are paid regularly?
Employees who have been with the airline for long say that several of them are suffering from what is commonly known as the Stockholm syndrome where despite feeling like hostages while working for the airline, many also feel sorry for the company and want to stay back and give it their best shot.
“Many of us have been with the airline since its inception. The bond between us is like a marriage where you do not leave your partner because of some problems.
“But the partner also has to adjust and make compromises for it is the pilots, cabin crew, technicians and other employees who eventually make the airline,” said an employee.
No recognised union
What is compounding the misery of many employees is that they do not have any legally recognised union to take up their cause with the airline's management.
Some of them are also questioning the long delays in payment of their salaries despite the airline seeing a steady increase in the number of passengers flown.
“Just the other day a Mumbai-Delhi flight was packed to capacity. There was not one empty seat. This is not a one-off instance. Where is the money generated through such operations going? In another nine days if the salary is not credited it will be the third straight month we would have gone without being paid,” added another employee.
For some employees, however, the wait and patience game has already become too much. Recently about 20 pilots quit Kingfisher to join a rival low-cost domestic airline.