Kingfisher needs to submit plan to DGCA: Ajit Singh

Kingfisher needs to submit plan to DGCA: Ajit Singh

Troubled Kingfisher Airlines would have to submit a detailedplan to aviation regulator DGCA before they are allowed to resume flights,Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said today.

Asked whether the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) was likely to move ahead with suspending or cancelling the crisis-riddencarrier's flying license, he said it was for the regulator to decide after itstudies their reply to the show-cause notice issued to them.

DGCA had yesterday issued a show-cause notice to Kingfisherasking why its flying license should not be suspended or cancelled as it hadgrounded its entire fleet and failed to offer safe, efficient and reliableservice. It has given the airline 15 days to reply.

"This (suspension or cancellation) has to be decided bythe DGCS. It will depend on what reply they give, what plans they have (toresume operations). How they will lease (aircraft). There are disgruntledemployees and there is safety concern," the Minister said.

In the notice, DGCA Chief Arun Mishra said it had beenobserved that the airline was not adhering to its flight schedule and"abruptly cancelling their flights time and again during the last 10months", causing great inconvenience to the travelling public.

He also took note of the lockout which had led to"suspension of all their flights" and that the airline had"failed to establish a safe, efficient and reliable services asrequired" under the rules.

Maintaining that this amounted to Kingfisher not complyingwith the provisions of the Aircraft Rules 1937, the regulator asked the airlinewhy action should not be taken against it for this "violation".

Kingfisher had declared a lockout on September 28 tillOctober four, cancelling its entire flight schedule, and extended it tillOctober 12 later. The lockout was declared after the management failed toresolve the deadlock with its striking employees, including engineers andpilots, over non- payment of salaries for last seven months.

Responding to the notice, a Kingfisher spokesperson said,"We will send a detailed response to the DGCA well in time. We will alsosubmit a comprehensive plan for restoration of services after negotiations withour employees."

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