SpiceJet Issues Legal Notice To Pilots For Breaching Notice Period Clause

Ashneer Grover, BharatPe's former Co-founder recently made headlines for saying that long notice periods don't serve any purpose. To add some context, many companies have a tendency to follow a standard 3-month period which in most cases becomes a subject of negotiation and is usually cut short.

But airline company SpiceJet is taking the notice period clause in employment contracts seriously. The company has reportedly issued legal notices to pilots who did not serve their full notice periods.

The aviation industry follows the practice of serving longer notice periods to pilots and commanders. This is done as a policy prerogative as pilots are uniquely positioned in terms of business continuity and operations of any airline company. 

In fact, a rule mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stipulates a notice period of 12 months for Commanders and six months for co-pilots. 

The other side of the coin is that the airline company is embroiled in a legal case with certain employees over non-payment of dues. While the case is pending before the Delhi High Court, SpiceJet has made it clear that it is adhering to the court's order in the case and expects the CAR rule to be followed as a minimum requirement.