Friday, 28 December 2012

No clear funding proposal in KFA’s revival plan: Ajit Singh


NEW DELHI: Grounded carrier Kingfisher Airlines has failed to present regulators with a clear funding plan under a proposal to be able to fly again, aviation minister Ajit Singh said on Wednesday. The airline, owned by liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, submitted a plan on Monday to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to resume a limited service. Its licence was suspended in October over unpaid debts and salaries.

According to reports, Kingfisher's parent company, UB Group, offered to inject Rs 650 crore into the carrier — a key condition for getting it airborne again. But, Singh said that UB Group "did not say they are going to give anything" to Kingfisher, which has estimated debts of $2.5 billion.

Singh did not specify if the proposal, to resume operations with five planes, had been rejected. But he noted that the airline owed money to banks, staff, airports, and tax authorities. All those stakeholders needed to be convinced the relaunch plan was viable before the DGCA allowed the airline to fly again, he added.

No comments:

Post a Comment