New Delhi  - There was chaos at Indian airports Tuesday as at least 400 pilots of private airline Jet Airways went on a mass sick leave to protest the sacking of two colleagues.

Jet Airways, which operates 380 flights daily to various parts of India and abroad, had to cancel over 100 flights leaving passengers stranded at airports across the country, IANS news agency reported.

Jet Airways said all affected passengers could claim a full refund or rebook themselves on an alternate date without any cancellation or reissue charges.

"Regrettably, a section of the pilots who were rostered for operations have resorted to a simulated strike by reporting sick," a Jet Airways spokesperson said in a statement.

"Jet Airways is taking all steps to minimise the inconvenience to its guests. The airline will make all efforts to operate the maximum number of flights," the statement said.

The recently-formed National Aviators Guild, a union of some Jet Airways pilots, called the strike to protest the sacking of two of their colleagues.

Guild president Girish Kaushik said senior pilots Balaraman and Sam Thomas were dismissed because they were instrumental in forming the union, which is not recognised by the airline.

Kaushik said they had issued a mandatory 14-day notice to the airlines about the sick leaves.

"My sincere apologies to passengers. All we want is that the management takes the two pilots back. That is our only demand," Kaushik said. "We are not on strike. This is an individual decision by each pilot," he added.

Jet Airways said in a statement that it was engaged in talks with the union and the Regional Labour Commissioner had warned that any strike during this period would be deemed illegal under India's Industrial Disputes Act. (dpa)