Disheartened Go First pilots rush to Air India's jobs drive

Jet Airways (India)

04/05/2023 14:44

By Tanvi Mehta
       NEW DELHI, May 4 (Reuters) - Dozens of pilots, many from
crisis-hit Go First, flocked to a Tata group hotel near Delhi on
Thursday for walk-in interviews with the conglomerate's Air
India airline.
    Go First's announcement on Tuesday that it had filed for
bankruptcy as demand for post-pandemic air travel in the world's
most populous country boomed came as a shock to many employees.
    "It is very disheartening, the airline was functioning as if
everything was normal," said a pilot who joined Go First two
years ago and was waiting in a long line at Tata's Taj Hotel.
"We have to jump ship in order to keep our flying licences
current."
    Reuters spoke with more than a dozen pilots and cabin crew
at the Air India programme, which was first announced on
Wednesday, and another run by sister company Vistara, all of
whom declined to be named as they were still employed by Go
First, the country's third-largest airline.
    While Air India, Vistara and the country's biggest airline
IndiGo  INGL.NS  have conducted similar hiring drives in the
past, the people Reuters spoke to said turnout was larger than
normal. They attributed the numbers to the plight of Go First,
formerly known as Go Airlines (India) Ltd, which has around
7,000 employees.
    Air India said on Twitter the hiring drive in Delhi and
Mumbai would be extended by a day to Friday. 
    The airline, bought back from the government last year by
salt-to-software Tata group, plans to hire more than 4,200 cabin
crew and 900 pilots this year as part of a major revamp which
also includes orders for a record 470 jets.
    Air India did not respond to a Reuters request for comment
on the hiring drive, while Go First and Vistara - a Tata group
joint venture with Singapore Airlines - declined to comment.
    Go First's CEO said earlier this week the airline is
committed to its employees and is working tirelessly to get its
operations back on track. 
    A planned merger of Air India with Vistara and the launch of
Akasa Air have increased competition for staff and planes as the
industry recovers.
    Vistara held walk-in interviews for cabin crew in Delhi and
Mumbai on Thursday, and sought online applications from pilots.
    "Vistara has been a dream airline to work with, ever since I
took one of its flights a few years ago," said a 27-year-old
member of Go First's cabin crew. 
    "Plus, with the Tatas, our future would be secure."

    <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
FACTBOX-The engine dispute at the heart of Go First's bankruptcy
filing     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N37017T
FACTBOX-India's Wadia Group whose Go First is in trouble    
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N3711T9
Go First gone: engine troubles, COVID bring down India's
third-largest airline - Reuters News     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N370129
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
 (Reporting by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
 ((tanvi.mehta@thomsonreuters.com; https://twitter.com/TanviMehta710;))