Debt ridden Jet Airways will fly just 6-7 aircrafts on both days on weekends on domestic routes said the Aviation Secretary P S Kharola. He added by saying that Jet Airways has been also told to make sure that the passenger issues have been taken care of, while it deals with its cash-strapped situation.
Kharola also said that the airline has been told to alert the passengers about all flight cancellations 48 hours prior to the scheduled flight time.
Kharola explained that Jet Airways had a meeting with the bankers, where the aviation company has put forth demands for more funds. The company is currently flying 11 aircrafts, but will fly 6 to 7 aircrafts domestically on both days on the weekend.
At present, Jet Airways is operating less than 50 domestic flights on average per day. The Aviation Secretary further said that the company had suspended all its international flights till last Monday.
As per an official source, the crisis in the private airlines has worsened so much that the Prime Minister’s Office had called an urgent meeting in order to discuss the grievous situation. The meeting was post Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu’s direction to the secretary of the department to review the concerns of Jet Airways.
On the other hand, airfares have been skyrocketing across the country in the last few weeks, primarily because the plummet of number of flights due to the suspension of about 90 percent of the 119 aircraft fleet of Jet Airways, which is extremely short of money.
Meanwhile, SpiceJet had announced on Friday that it will induct 16 Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft on dry lease in order to decrease flight cancellations and also to extend the airline’s domestic as well as international presence.
SpiceJet said that it has apealed for a no objection certificate (NOC) to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in order to import the aircraft. Subject to regulatory approvals, the aircraft is expected to join SpiceJet’s fleet within 10 days, said the airline.
