SpiceJet official to Q400 pilots: Follow work ethics, trivial issues taking priority over flight ops

A senior SpiceJet executive has asked pilots flying its Q400 aircraft to follow "some work ethics", telling them in an email that if they don't get salary for a month they will automatically give up the "trivial" issues that are taking priority over flight operations.

Pramod Malik, who is the fleet captain for Q400 aircraft, said, "Please learn to prioritise your work because if you don't get salary for a month then automatically those trivial priorities will vanish (leading to) 'No Money No Honey' situation."

"This is not a threat but advice to prioritise primary vs secondary and follow some work ethics," Malik stated in his Saturday's email, which has been accessed by the PTI.

He told the pilots to just "pause" and think before every situation and then decide "whether to commit or not to commit for some occasion".

In November last year, SpiceJet had reported widening of loss to Rs 462.6 crore in the second quarter of 2019-20, mainly hit by expenses related to grounding of Boeing 737 MAX planes and changes in accounting norms.

As on January 14, SpiceJet has a fleet of 82 Boeing 737 aircraft, 32 Bombardier Q400 planes and five Boeing 737 freighter aircraft.

Malik, in his email, said, "We are all mature people, then how come some of us are not able to prioritise and differentiate what is primary and what could be secondary."

"I get to hear very trivial issues taking priority over flight operations (for which you have been hired by the company and you are getting paid). These individuals need to take advice from their near and dear ones if they themselves are not able to decide how to prioritise," he added.

SpiceJet is the country's largest regional player operating 49 daily flights under Centre's Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN, which connects underserved and unserved airports. The Q400 aircraft in its fleet are primarily used on such UDAN routes only.

SpiceJet did not respond to the specific queries sent by PTI regarding Malik's email.