High profile route to India suspended by beleaguered airline
A high-profile route from Manchester has been temporarily pulled by a struggling airline.
Direct flights from the North West to Mumbai were launched by Jet Airways last autumn.
But even though they have been hailed a great success the airline has suspended the flights until April.
Jet Airways has cancelled a number of flights and has seen two-thirds of its fleet grounded at the insistence of creditors.
The Mumbai-based airline has now been left with just a quarter of its fleet of 119 aircraft in operation.
Chief financial officer Amit Agarwal recently told investors that relations with overdue creditors were good.
He added: “We are working very well with our various stakeholders, be it vendors, lessors, partners in terms of managing on a win-win situation.”
However, some pilots and engineers have claimed their wages have gone unpaid since this year.
The flights from Manchester, which run five days a week, have been abruptly grounded.
The last departure of Jet Airways flight 129 from Manchester to Mumbai touched down shortly after midnight on Saturday morning.
Subsequent arrivals and departures have been shown as “cancelled”.
The airline said: “Due to operational reasons, our flight schedule has been impacted.
“We realise that this has affected our guests’ travel plans and truly regret the inconvenience.
“Our customer-support teams are working around the clock “to ensure that our guests are re-accommodated on to alternate flights or provided with a full refund.”
In its last quarterly results, the airline flew just over seven million passengers but made a loss.
The airline has told business travellers that they can no longer have access to a lounge at Delhi airport, serving the Indian capital.
Manchester Airport’s chief executive Andrew Cowan said the service had been “one of the best-performing new long-haul routes we have launched in recent years.
He said: “The Jet Airways service to Mumbai has been one of the best-performing new long haul routes we have launched in recent years, proving hugely popular with business and leisure passengers alike.
“It’s success to date is a reflection of the strong ties that exist between the North and India in terms of trade, culture, sport and tourism, all of which have been strengthened since direct flights began.
“This includes the 200,000 people of Indian origin living in our catchment area and an increasing number of Indian businesses with operations in the North.
“We have been assured the Manchester-Mumbai service will be reinstated at the earliest opportunity and look forward to continuing to work with our partner Jet Airways.”
The route has been suspended due to short-term non-availability of some aircraft in the airline’s fleet.
Jet Airways said: “The airline is taking all possible measures to minimise guest inconvenience, including offering a full refund for the affected guests as well as exploring re-accommodation possibilities on other airlines.
“Jet Airways sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests.”
Andrew Cowan said: “The route’s success to date is a reflection of the strong ties that exist between the North and India in terms of trade, culture, sport and tourism, all of which have been strengthened since direct flights began.
“This includes the 200,000 people of Indian origin living in our catchment area and an increasing number of Indian businesses with operations in the North.
“We have been assured the Manchester-Mumbai service will be reinstated at the earliest opportunity and look forward to continuing to work with our partner Jet Airways.”
