New Delhi: Kingfisher promoter Vijay Mallya's claim of restarting the airline by summer in a letter sent to employees on Thursday has been debunked by senior aviation ministry and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials. They say the 'unsatisfactory' restart plan submitted by the airline management last month and Mallya's latest letter remain silent on funding and clearing everyone's dues, including employees' salary.
"He does not talk of clearing dues of Airports Authority of India, Mumbai and Delhi airports. There is no clarity on how employees will be paid. In the past most promises made for paying employees and others have fallen flat. Now unless that happens, how can we be sure that Kingfisher will be able to maintain its schedule and meet all safety standards. Based on what they are offering today, it is safe to say the airline is not even close to restarting operation," said a senior official, reminding that DGCA chief Arun Mishra has asked the airline to clear all salary dues before hoping to fly again. Kingfisher is saddled with a debt-cum-loss figure of almost Rs 16,000 crore.
12/01/13 Times of India
