A laid-off Jet Airways employee speaks of his trauma.

I am Spandan Sharma (name changed) and I am 22. I was working with the hotel industry earlier. I decided to enter what I thought was a booming aviation industry and completed an aviation course at Frankfinn Academy. My father is a retired government bank employee. I took a Rs 1-lakh loan to do the course.

I was very happy to join Jet Airways as a flight steward six months ago. We were all very excited when Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines announced their pact to consolidate. When two airlines come together, it’s a good thing, we thought. We thought we would get international exposure.

Then came the rude shock. Yesterday, I was scheduled to travel with a flight to Bangalore. But the pick-up transport that arrives two hours before a flight wasn’t turning up. So, naturally, I called up my office. But, to my astonishment, a lady at the office tersely said my services had been terminated. I was stunned.

As if to make it worse, the lady said: “You can collect your termination letter tomorrow from the HR department. Thanks for serving Jet Airways.”

I was aghast. They did not show any sympathy. They want to earn profits, but they can’t do that at the cost of our careers. I was on probation, and my probation period would have been over next month. I am aware that my contract mentions a clause that my services can be terminated without any kind of notice, but that is in case of misconduct. What misconduct have I done? We were working as hard as possible to serve the company.

Nobody had an idea that this would happen. Our salaries were regular. Apart from minor problems regarding transport services, we had no complaints. The Jet-KF pact was great news and we were looking forward to working with Kingfisher crew. None of us is part of any political union. But it was so shameful that all of us decided that we must raise our voice.

I am the youngest of a five-member family from Powai near Mumbai. Both my siblings are earning members but they are married. So, in a way, I am the earning member of the family for my parents.

There are others who could be affected worse. Some have lost their fathers, and have to support their mothers and the rest of the family. Many of us have taken loans for doing aviation courses, and we have to repay them. We don’t know what we should do now.

I suspect all this is part of a corporate game where someone wants to take over Jet.