Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu orders review of troubled Jet Airways

Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu has ordered a review of the issues involving debt-ridden Jet Airways, a day after the airlines further curtailed its operation by cancelling international and domestic flights.

“Directed Secretary @MoCA_GoI to review issues related to Jet Airways. Asked him to take necessary steps to minimise passenger inconvenience and ensure their safety”, the minister tweeted.

Jet Airways, on Thursday, cancelled all west-bound long-haul international flights, including those to London, Paris and Amsterdam.

At the same time, Jet also cancelled domestic flights between Mumbai and Kolkata and Kolkata and Guwahati for Friday due to operational reasons.

The cancellation comes even as the beleaguered Jet Airways is on the verge of being barred from operating international flights as its operational fleet has come down to 14 and any Indian airline needs a minimum 20 aircraft to be able to fly on international routes. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is yet to take a call but said it is monitoring the situation closely.

Civil aviation ministry had said that it will review once the fleet goes below the required number.

The State Bank of India had on Monday offered up to a 75 per cent stake in Jet Airways for sale. It extended the deadline on Wednesday for interested bidders to submit a response until Friday. A consortium of SBI-led banks now effectively owns the beleaguered carrier.

“We will not allow violation of safety but since SBI is in the process of reviving the airline, the issue of not operating minimum fleet can be taken up later,” said a DGCA official.

First Published: Apr 12, 2019 09:32 IST