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20 Oct, 2012

India Pulls Ailing Airline Kingfisher’s Operating Permit

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Ministry of Civil Aviation, 20-October, 2012 – The Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended the Scheduled Operator’s Permit of Kingfisher Airlines dated 26.08.2003 with effect from 20th October, 2012 till such time the Kingfisher Airlines submits a concrete and reliable revival plan ensuring safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable Scheduled Air Transport Services to the satisfaction of DGCA.

The DGCA decided to suspend the Airline’s permit after examining the Airline’s reply received on 19.10.2012 to the Show Cause Notice served on them by the DGCA dated 5.10. 2012 which was not found satisfactory.

DGCA has observed that the Kingfisher Airlines have not addressed any of the issues raised by the DGCA during the meeting held with the Airline on 02.10.2012 and the points raised in the show cause notice.  They were asked to submit their operational preparedness plan for resumption of flight operations. Instead, they have sought more time to file a reply to the show cause notice not indicating any time frame for submitting the detailed response; therefore, the request could not be acceded to by the DGCA.

Said the notification: “The Airline was given sufficient time to reply to the Show Cause Notice and were asked to come with an operational preparedness plan to satisfy DGCA for resumption of their flight operations, but on perusal of their reply, it is seen that they have, in fact, no concrete revival plan for resumption of flight operations at this juncture which shows that they are unable to resume their Schedule Air Transport Services.”

It said that Kingfisher’s reply stating that “employee unrest is not in their control shows their ineffectiveness and inability to restart their airline in order to provide safe, reliable and sustainable Scheduled Air Transport Services.”

The full copy of the order suspending the permit may be seen by clicking here.