Wednesday, 19 December 2012

Kingfisher needs to get OK from all stakeholders: DGCA


NEW DELHI: Kingfisher may have told bankers on Monday that it plans to restart limited operations by infusing Rs 425 crore in phases, but implementing the same may not be easy. Senior DGCA officials said on Tuesday they have not received any formal proposal from KFA to restart operations and they added the rider that the airline will need to first get the nod from airport operators, oil companies, employees and other vendors before being allowed to fly again. 

Getting these stakeholders, especially airports, on board without clearing their dues may be difficult. Kingfisher chief 
Vijay Mallya last week wrote to Airports Authority of India (AAI), requesting the PSU not to pursue the cheque bounced cases it has filed against the airline as it is preparing to fly again. 

Kingfisher owes about Rs 300 crore to AAI and cheques issued for Rs 117 crore have bounced. The authority has turned down Mallya's request and replied to his letter, saying that the matter is sub-judice and will be pursued in court. "We cannot allow Kingfisher to fly again till it clears our dues. Our stand has not changed," said a senior AAI official, while reacting to Kingfisher's Monday's claims to restart operations. 
A senior DGCA official said: "We will take into account what these parties say about Kingfisher's plans to fly again. We want the airline to fly again but only if it can do so completely safely and by maintaining whatever skeletal schedule it has. There cannot be a situation where it starts flying and again stops for some other reason." AAI and Mumbai airport management have already written to Director General of Civil Aviation Arun Mishra not to allow Kingfisher to fly again till it clears their dues. 

A number of vendors, employees and airport operators doubt Kingfisher's claims and wonder if the promoters will be able to get funds. Many employees have not got the third tranche of salary that was to be paid on Diwali. 

"The promoters want the airline to somehow fly again as a grounded airline will not get any investor. It has been more than a year since Mallya first made the claim of recapitalizing Kingfisher. During this time, the condition has only deteriorated and now the airline is firmly grounded," said an airport operator. 

Mallya offers 3kg gold at Tirupati 

TIRUPATI: Vijay Mallya made an offering of gold bricks on Tuesday, on his 58th birthday, weighing about 3 kg, at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara on Tuesday. Mallya requested temple authorities to use it for gilding the doors at the sanctum sanctorum, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams deputy executive officer (temple) Chinnamgari Ramana said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Kingfisher-needs-to-get-OK-from-all-stakeholders-DGCA/articleshow/17671714.cms

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