Dear Colleagues ,
Each year since the past 25 years, the 5th day of May has held a special place in the hearts of each of us. But yesterday, our 26th Anniversary was the saddest of all days, with no flights, added to which the sad coincidence that on 18th April 1993 we received our first aircraft in Mumbai, while in the early hours of the morning of 18th April 2019 we operated our last service from Amritsar to Mumbai.
Yesterday, at the onset of the 26th anniversary of Jet Airways, the mood was sombre, poignant. Neeta and I were moved beyond words to see so many of you across our vast Indian and international network, don your uniforms, not to report to work, but instead to participate in peace marches, championing your continued commitment and confidence in Jet Airways. Some of you organised religious prayer meets, not seeking anything for yourselves, but praying solely for the revival of Jet Airways. So many of you reached out to Neeta and me via different mediums, leaving us emotional, humbled and overwhelmed. Your love and unfaltering commitment to Jet Airways, even under these adverse conditions and personal hardship, is humbling and awe-inspiring. We are unable to reciprocate and respond to each of you individually owing to the prevailing circumstances, and so we reach out to you through your beloved Jet Airways.
Further to my communication of 25th March 2019, since stepping down from our respective positions, Neeta and I have had no role at Jet Airways after having made every possible sacrifice and commitment to ensure that the best interests of our Jet Airways family are served:
• From a group company I have made Rs.250 cr. available to the Banks
• I have pledged my shareholding in 9W
• I have stepped down as your Chairman
• Neeta has stepped down from Board of Directors of Jet Airways
By comparison however, the sacrifices that you have made are greater and nobler by far. I have been learning through the media of the various peace marches outside various city airports and prominent landmarks and am deeply moved. This deeply decent, selfless and self-sacrificing act of yours, is both venerable and humbling. My heart goes out to each and every one of you and I hope and pray that the Banks will finalise the bidders on the 10th of May and move forward in the interest of all employees, so that you can all return to work and resume normal lives with your salaries paid.
For Neeta and me it has been an extremely emotional and difficult period, most particularly about the non-payment of your hard-earned salaries. I cannot even begin to describe how terrible it is for me to contemplate the difficult situation each of you and your dear families are going through and cannot find the words to explain my deep personal anguish. I have been in Mumbai and have been watching and closely monitoring the untiring efforts and sacrifices you are all making as a close-knit team for the survival of the company over all self-interests and I am truly, deeply moved.
Neeta and I are anxiously hoping that there will be a positive outcome on the 10th of May 2019 as per the BLRP deadline.. It is our dearest wish, like yours, to witness the blazing sun reappear from behind the dark clouds of the past weeks, on a canvas of never ending blue. We both fervently pray that the “Joy of Flying” may once more bring cheer and solace to all of you and your dear families in the very near future. Your loyalty, dedication and brilliance of the past 25 years, is worthy of this new dawn.
With warm regards,
NARESH GOYAL
Also read: Lesson from Jet Airways crash – Save Indian capitalism from Indian capitalists
How could you not foresee the current day situation 1 to 2 years back when Jet was consecutively posting losses? Why were you busy launching new routes etc when immediate cost cutting measures could have been undertaken. Lastly, why did you not sell off to Tatas when they offered to buy on the condition that you step down. This PR article is meaningless.
नरेश गोयल तुम तो बहुत अच्छे से जानता था कि जेट एयरवेज में रुपया भगोड़े दाऊद का लगा है। सरकारी एजेंसियों को इस बात का पता चल चुका था और कई बार ये पुख्ता खबर अखबारों के माध्यम से देशवासीयों तक पहुँच चुकी थी और सरकारी एजेंसियों ने तुझको भी आगाह करते हुए तुम से जानकारी मांगी थी कि सच सच बताओ नरेश क्या दाऊद तुम्हारा पार्टनर है लेकिन बार-बार तुम इनकार करते रहे और इसी दरम्यान मोदी जी की सरकार बन गई और तुम्हारे जेट एयरवेज के बुरे दिन शुरू हो गए, हालाँकि तुमने समय रहते हुए जेट से अपना ज्यादा से ज्यादा रुपया निकाल लिया । होनी तो प्रबल है नरेश और आज तुम्हारे इस कारनामे का फल जेट के कुल 20 हजार लोग बेरोजगार हो गए। तुम्हारा क्या गया,बाबा जी का ठुल्लू ???
Millions of Indians have wonderful memories of flying Jet. The rest is in God’s – and the market’s – hands.