Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh today reiterated that crisis-ridden Kingfisher Airlines would have to satisfy aviation regulator DGCA on all aspects including safety and issue of non-payment of salaries to its employees in its reply to a show cause notice that was issued to them.
“DGCA has served a show-cause notice to Kingfisher to reply within 15-days…They (Kingfisher) have to come out with concrete plans on (how they are) arranging the finance and how it will pay salaries of employees and make other arrangements to run the airline,” Singh told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Hyderabad.
Asked whether his ministry would initiate any action in to the matter or cancel the flying license of the ailing carrier, Singh said, “DGCA has served the notice. It is up to Kingfisher to reply and satisfy DGCA on all issues including operational safety and how it will solve its financial problems and pay the salary dues of employees.”
“It (license cancellation) will depend on what reply Kingfisher gives and DGCA will decide that,” he said.
Referring to the alleged suicide by the wife of a Kingfisher employee apparently over financial stress due to non-payment of salary to her husband, the minister said “it was sad and unfortunate that such a thing happened.”
“…if they (Kingfisher employees) don’t get salaries for seven months it is natural that it will definitely lead to problems. Despite that they were working as they had hope that the airline may get revived and their jobs may be retained…but the developments in the last few days indicate that any such hopes have faded,” Singh said.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued a show-cause notice to Vijay Mallya-owned carrier on 5 October asking why its flying license should not be suspended or cancelled as it had grounded its entire fleet and failed to offer safe, efficient and reliable service.
It has given the airline 15 days to reply.
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