New Delhi: In a major blow to grounded Kingfisher's plans to restart operations, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has refused to give its nod to the airline to do so without first recovering dues of Rs 300 crore. The AAI conveyed this to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday when the regulator sought its views after getting a new plan from Vijay Mallya's nearly bankrupt airline earlier this week. "AAI chairman V P Agrawal has written to DGCA chief Arun Mishra that Kingfisher can't be allowed to restart operations unless it first clears its dues. Once it does that, Agrawal told the DG, the airline can be allowed to fly on cash-and-carry basis," said sources.
Kingfisher owes about Rs 300 crore to AAI, out of which cheques for Rs 127 crore have bounced. "Lessors of Kingfisher want to repossess four Airbus A-320s. AAI has asked the lessors to cough up Rs 70 crore before they can be allowed to do so," said sources.
29/12/12 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
