“I won’t mind if they cut my salary as well as the luxury provided to us in terms of 5-star hotel accommodation, but I should have my job with me,” said another Kingfisher trainee pilot who took a loan to meet CPL training costs from New Zealand. “Let us see what happens,” is all he said when asked if he will face problems in repaying the loan amount. “It’s better to have jobs with salary cuts because as and when the scenario improves, we’ll get the usual salaries back,” said another trainee pilot.

Senior pilots, on the other hand, say that while pay cuts are a norm in turbulent times, the airline must take pilots into confidence before announcing such measures. “Pay cuts are a normal worldwide culture among airlines as long as the jobs are secured. But in India I don’t know why they’re not taking the pilots into confidence on such a critical issue,” said a senior Kingfisher pilot, citing Singapore Airlines’ example that cut pilots’ salaries during the SARS epidemic when travel to South Asia had hit rock bottom.

Sources also confirmed to The Indian Express that further salary cuts were in the pipeline for both Jet and Kingfisher employees. While a spokesperson for the Bangalore-based Kingfisher refused to comment on the issue, a senior Jet official said the company is still recovering from last week’s media bash. “Meetings on these issues will only take place next week,” he said.