Hopes To Resume Flight Operations, No Restart Date Determined

Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines, which was grounded last October due to insolvency, has submitted a plan to that country's Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a resumption of flight operations. The company would be backed financially by its parent company, UB Group.

Both the airline and UB group are controlled by Vijay Mallya, who is described by the Indian Express newspaper as a "liquor tycoon." Kingfisher owes some $2.5 billion to banks, airports, and other creditors, according to the paper.

Airline spokesman Sanjay Aggarwal said that the airline has requested that its license to operate be renewed, having submitted a "complete plan" within the two-year window required by the government. He said that the airline would start with seven aircraft, gradually ramping up to 20 within a few months of the restart.

A senior government official knowledgeable of the situation called the support of the UB Group a "positive thing" for the airline, which had been previously rejected in an attempt to resume flying based on its difficulties repaying employees, lenders, and other creditors.

While the airline has received so-called "no objection" certificates from airports, fuel suppliers, and others, it has not yet obtained the documents from the Airports Authority of India and tax authorities.

FMI: www.dgca.nic.in