Nok Air mulls pilot walkout response

Nok Air mulls pilot walkout response

Passengers from nine cancelled flights were looking for alternative transportation Sunday after 10 pilots staged a wildcat walkout. (Post Today photo
Passengers from nine cancelled flights were looking for alternative transportation Sunday after 10 pilots staged a wildcat walkout. (Post Today photo

Nok Air officials are meeting Monday to decide on a course of action against 10 pilots who walked off their jobs, causing cancellation of nine Sunday flights.

Patee Sarasin, chief executive of Nok Air, said about 10 pilots stopped working in response to the budget airline's increased auditing of aviation management, carried out in line with standards set by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Some of the pilots failed their evaluation in the more vigorous auditing procedures.

Mr Patee said the walkout has damaged the airline's brand and is unacceptable.

The airline's management will meet Monday to consider what action to take against the pilots and whether they should be dismissed, he said.

Nok Air has beefed up its auditing to enhance its aviation management standards, a necessary step for the company to enter into code-share agreements with other airlines.

The increased auditing will also help boost customer and regulatory confidence.

Mr Patee added the meeting will also discuss how to prevent a similar situation in the future. He insisted there will be no flight cancellations Monday as the airline has drawn up a plan to tackle any problems that may occur.

The pilots stopped working with no prior warning, forcing the airline to solve problems as they arose, according to Mr Patee.

However, he said Sunday's nine flight cancellations accounted for a small percentage of the airline's operations out of Don Mueang airport. Nok Air operates 240 flights a day from all airports nationwide.

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