Airliners-India

747-237

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/ilfc-urges-indian-government-return-hostage-jets-in-kingfisher-airlines-grounding/articleshow/18962371.cms

ILFC urges Indian Government: Return 'hostage' jets in Kingfisher Airlines grounding
14 Mar, 2013

The head of aircraft finance giant International Lease Finance Corp urged India on Wednesday to release six passenger jets held "hostage" by a bureaucratic dispute after struggling Kingfisher Airlines failed to pay for them. ILFC had warned in January that a failure to return leased airplanes to their true owners when airlines cannot pay their bills could put the country's aviation growth at risk by scaring off funding.

According to Los Angeles-based ILFC, the Delhi High Court ruled last month that ILFC could have access to its aircraft to ensure they can be refurbished and maintained.

But ILFC Chief Executive Henri Courpron told Reuters that the situation on the ground remained unresolved.

"We have made legal and political progress but people are not following instructions from the government," Courpron said in a telephone interview. "We have to stop this hostage situation."

He did not say which Indian authorities or people he held responsible for failing to apply the court's decision.

Ultimately, ILFC wants to fly the Airbus aircraft out of India to allow them to be used by other operators. But that would require the consent of Indian authorities.

For now, the planes are sitting idle in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

Kingfisher's financial difficulties have left the airline's fleet grounded since October.

Germany's DVB Bank said in December it had sued India's aviation regulator and Kingfisher to have two planes it financed for the troubled carrier de-registered, a possible first step toward recouping its funds.

The two disputes are seen as an important test of an international agreement known as the Cape Town convention, designed to make it more attractive for leasing companies to invest by duplicating repossession rights available in the United States when airlines default on lease payments.

Courpron said he expected the sale of a majority of ILFC to a Chinese consortium by its owner, U.S. insurer AIG, to go ahead as planned in the second quarter, dismissing doubts expressed by some delegates at a Florida aviation conference that it would.

About 38 per cent of the audience at an industry panel predicted in a straw poll that the Chinese sale would not go ahead, but Courpron said ILFC was solely focused on it.

sri_bom · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2365 Location: Singapore

Kingfisher Airlines reiterates plans to resume operations with 11 ATRs and 10 A320s

13-Mar-2013 10:32 AM
Kingfisher Airlines CEO Sanjay Agarwal, in a letter to the DGCA on 08-Mar-2013, reiterated the carrier plans to resume operations, with 11 ATR and 10 A320 aircraft (First Post, 12-Mar-2013). The airline has also provided a schedule which outlines plans for around 70 Airbus and 100 ATR weekly services, to destinations including Kullu, Jaipur, Dehradun, Hubli and Vijayawada.

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747-237

HAWK21M · Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2013 12:31 pm Post subject:

Good move.....else like in the post 1996 era....if leasing companies had to struggle to get back their aircraft,they would not be keen to lease some to Indian operators in future.
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sri_bom · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2365 Location: Singapore

UB Group chairman unimpressed by constant comments to media by Kingfisher lenders
News
20-Mar-2013 11:51 AM
UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya questioned why banks are continuously speaking to the media on loan recovery from Kingfisher Airlines, tweeting: “I seriously wonder what motivates bank chairmen to constantly speak to media on loan recovery from Kingfisher Air. What about others?” (Business Standard/PTI, 20-Mar-2013). The comments came after State Bank of India (SBI) chairman Pratip Chaudhuri said it is taking all steps to recover the loan provided to Kingfisher Airlines (PTI, 18-Mar-2013). He explained: "We are blazing all guns and taking all steps to recovery [of Kingfisher loans]," he said, adding: "There is a core group. They are assessing what are securities what can be disposed of quickly then they are put on auction... That is how it goes".

747-237 · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 8:47 pm Post subject:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324103504578372242592856444.html

Kingfisher Submits Proposal to Fly Again

March 20, 2013

Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. has submitted a plan to India's aviation regulator for the grounded carrier's revival, Chairman Vijay Mallya said Wednesday.

The proposal includes payment of overdue salaries, Mr. Mallya told reporters. He declined to give a timeframe for getting Kingfisher back in the air.

Kingfisher has been grounded since Oct. 1--first due to a strike by its employees over non-payment of salaries and then because of license problems.

sri_bom · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2365 Location: Singapore

Kingfisher Airlines employees threaten to disrupt IPL, demand Vijay Mallya's prosecution
News
21-Mar-2013 11:11 AM
Kingfisher Airlines employees have reportedly requested the Indian Government prosecute Kingfisher promoter Vijay Mallya for not paying salaries and has threatened to disrupt Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches of the Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB), the team owned by Mallya (PTI, 20-Mar-2013). The action is being considered amid the “total neglect and ignorance” by the company as well as the government of the carrier's employees. Kingfisher Airlines Maintenance Association president Santosh Gautam said: "If Gopal Kanda, promoter of MDLR airlines, can be prosecuted for suicide of an employee why can't the government prosecute Vijay Mallya for suicide of the family member of his employees". Employees have also requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India not to allow RCB to participate in the upcoming IPL. In letters to India's President, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation Arun Mishra, employees said: "Enough is enough. We want a clear reply from him whether he wants to run the airlines or wants to close it down. If you want to close it, then please pay our dues".

HAWK21M · Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:14 pm Post subject:

Are there kf staff still awaiting a restart......I believe most should have moved on to other jobs by now.
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ameya · Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:46 pm Post subject:

747-237 · Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:38 pm Post subject:

http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/german-bank-dvb-wants-kingfisher-planes-de-registered/1/193643.html

German Bank DVB wants Kingfisher Airlines planes de-registered

March 26, 2013

German Bank DVB representatives have sought de-registration of two planes of the grounded Kingfisher Airlines at a meeting with aviation regulator DGCA on Monday.

The two planes were sent to Turkey for repair and maintenance where DVB seized them. However, unless the planes are de-registered in the lessor country, the German Bank cannot reclaim them and lease or sell them to other carriers.

747-237 · Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:46 pm Post subject:

http://www.airfinancejournal.com/Article/3180857/ILFC-repossess-Kingfisher-jet.html

ILFC repossess Kingfisher jet

International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) has succeeded in removing one A321 of its six A320 family aircraft that it has on lease with troubled carrier Kingfisher.

747-237 · Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:47 pm Post subject:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324789504578383870299072446.html

Regulator De-Registers 15 Kingfisher Jets

March 26, 2013

India's aviation regulator Tuesday said 15 Airbus planes of cash-strapped carrier Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. have been de-registered on request of the leasing companies which own the jets.

The planes were de-registered in the last two months and will be returned to the lessors, Arun Mishra, Director General of Civil Aviation, India, told reporters.

747-237 · Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 7:18 am Post subject:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/lessors-get-to-take-away-14-kfa-aircraft/1093921/0

Lessors get to take away 14 KFA aircraft

Mar 27 2013

After a long struggle, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has allowed lessors of 14 out of 17 deregistered aircraft of Kingfisher Airlines to take them back. As of now, all the aircraft are parked at various airports across the country.

"Of the 17 deregistered aircraft of Kingfisher Airlines, three of them are under litigation and cannot be taken back by the lessors till courts take a decision on the litigation. We have allowed the owners of the rest 14 aircraft to take them back and use it for operations," DGCA Arun Mishra said on the sidelines of an event organised by CII, IATA and GMR.

Of the 40 aircraft, 17 have been deregistered and another 13 is in the process of being deregistered. Ten of the remaining aircraft are owned by Kingfisher Airlines

Airports Authority of India had impounded the maximum number of these aircraft and were releasing it only after the payment of Rs 10 crore for Airbus A320 and Rs 2.5 crore for small ATR aircraft.

Nimish · Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 10:46 am Post subject:

^^ Long overdue and I think the international lessors have gone through too much pain already and too much red on their ink just through the unpaid lease rentals and the massive damage done to their a/c by IT.
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We miss you Nalini!

747-237 · Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 10:00 pm Post subject:

KFA plane lessors miffed with govt, raise lease costs

http://www.firstpost.com/business/kfa-plane-lessors-miffed-with-govt-raise-lease-costs-677470.html

HAWK21M · Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 2:22 pm Post subject:

TKMCE · Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 957

Some people are just not getting a job despite their best efforts- that is it!!! It is easy for people to make sarcastic comments stting in their comforts of their jobs elsewhere or in their armchairs but spare a thought for those who have been trying their best and nothing came out of it .

iah87 · Member Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 2562

747-237 · Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 10:26 pm Post subject:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Kingfisher-Airliness-15-leased-planes-may-land-in-scrapyards/articleshow/19436669.cms
Kingfisher Airlines’s 15 leased planes may land in scrapyards

Apr 8, 2013

A majority of the 15 leased planes that still remain on Kingfisher Airlines's (KFA) name may be headed to the scrapyards. While 13 aircraft leased to the grounded airline have been de-registered from the airline's name and will now be flown out of India, lessors of 15 planes have discovered that their Airbus planes are in simply no condition to fly.

"These lessors have discovered that aircraft parts have been so badly cannibalized that it is very difficult to restore the planes. In its last few months of operation (KFA stopped flying from October 1, 2012), the airline kept taking parts from its fleet to keep a handful of planes airworthy. Now the planes have been ravaged beyond repair and they can't fly," said a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official.

The planes rendered unfit to fly are the Airbus A-320s, each of which today costs upwards of Rs 500 crore and leasing a new one costs about Rs 2 crore per month at current rates. Now AAI brass are going to hold an internal meeting this week to see how precious airport parking slots occupied by these planes across Indian airports could be freed up. "The only way for these aircraft may be the junk yard. Lessors will drag KFA promoters to court to recover their losses," the official said.

Lessors have not even applied to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to get these 15 planes de-registered. The reason: While allowing some planes to be de-registered last month, DGCA chief Arun Mishra had ruled that lessors will have to pay parking charges to airports from the date their planes cease to be in KFA's name to the date they fly out. Something these 15 planes can't do.

KFA till recently had 40 planes — 10 owned by it and 30 leased. Of the 30 leased, 15 are stuck on ground and 13 were de-registered. Two aircraft have been seized by service tax authorities. Aviation secretary K N Shrivastava recently met the tax authorities for freeing these planes but since they are co-owned by the airline, they remain impounded.

Shrivastava, who is trying to restore India's credibility in the eyes of foreign aircraft lessors so that other desi carriers do not find it tough to rent planes, recently made it possible for lessors to start re-possessing their planes rented to KFA but which had been impounded by various agencies the airline owed money, like airports, banks and tax authorities.

747-237 · Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 5:41 pm Post subject:

http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/delhi-hc-asks-dgca-to-deregister-2-aircraft-of-kingfisher-airlines-19983

Delhi HC asks DGCA to deregister 2 aircraft of Kingfisher Airlines
April 09, 2013

Kingfisher Airlines has lost a legal battle with German aircraft leasing firm DVB Aviation Finance Asia PTE Ltd, as per a Business Today report. The Delhi High Court (HC) yesterday asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to deregister two planes leased to the now grounded carrier lying in Istanbul in Turkey.

"The petition is allowed. DGCA is directed to deregister the two aircraft which are lying outside the jurisdiction of this court," Justice Rajiv Shakdher said and asked the airline to furnish original documents of two leased aircraft to the German firm within four weeks.

Citing a previous judgement on the issue, the Court said DGCA cannot withhold the deregistration of the aircraft on the ground that the airline owe money to the government and its agencies. "It is made clear that if any dues remain payable from the airlines, the respondent (DGCA) can take recourse to appropriate measures against respondent (Kingfisher)," Justice Shakdher said.

Nimish · Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 8:51 am Post subject:

TKMCE · Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 957

Sorry if I am asking a dumb quesiton and I would like the experts here to answer.

How about the Mainternace Reserves which is standard as far as I know as part of every aircraft leasing contract...

Doesnt it cover some of the damages?

Also it is not a top secret that cannibalisation of parts is bound to occur when an airline is in financial trouble. What were the lessors doing all this time?? Werent they having periodic innspections ???

While I am not justifying the acitions of KFA, looks like the lessors woke up too late???

Nimish · Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 10:16 am Post subject:

^^ Agreed - surely the lessors have some checks and balances to make sure they're not left empty-handed...
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We miss you Nalini!

lavence7 · Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 2:26 pm Post subject:

lavence7 · Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 2:27 pm Post subject:

Some sort of sick game to recover spares through insurance ?

himmat01 · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1392 Location: DEL

sri_bom · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 2365 Location: Singapore

Issues raised in returning of Kingfisher aircraft to lessors: report
News
22-Apr-2013 11:52 AM
India's Mumbai and Delhi international airports have reportedly claimed that Indian law prevails over international law in a dispute with lessors over the future of grounded Kingfisher Airlines aircraft, stating they could not ignore a "stay" order from the Delhi High Court (Reuters, 19-Apr-2013). This could further complicate lessor attempts to record aircraft and their willingness to deal with Indian airlines in the future. DVB board member Bertrand Grabowski said: "Some of us, including DVB, are still skeptical that the Cape Town Convention will completely change the situation in India because courts tend to read the law so that Indian law prevails. We will need a few more months to evaluate carefully the situation." Meanwhile, India's Director General of Civil Aviation Arun Mishra said: "The government of India is fully committed to protecting the interest of the lessors so that the leasing business is not hampered in India". Mr Mishra said the DGCA had recently deregistered 19 Kingfisher aircraft.

747-237 · Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 6:02 pm Post subject:

The_Goat · Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:35 pm Post subject:

So what is The Fat One up to these days?

It looks like he is keeping a low profile. Apparently, he is not to be seen in the IPL matches when his team his playing.
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I don't know which is the more pampered bunch : AI's widebodies (the aunties) or Jet's widebodies (the planes).
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Karan69 · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 1334

747-237 · Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:42 pm Post subject:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/SectorsAviation/Get-out-of-our-space-AAI-tells-Kingfisher/Article1-1051772.aspx

Get out of our space, AAI tells Kingfisher

April 28, 2013

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has asked grounded Kingfisher Airlines to vacate space it occupies at its airports across the country. The Vijay Mallya-owned airline, which hasn’t operated a single flight since October last year, has been asked to remove all hardware and counters at AAI-run airports.

“We had written to the airline management to vacate the hangar space they occupy at our airports,” said an official. “Our officials have started meeting Kingfisher staff at respective airports to take forward the process. Kingfisher aircraft are occupying premium space and we have told them to move to the apron area. Similarly, counters and other hardware belonging to the airline have been lying vacant at airports. This precious space can be allocated to other airlines.

Kingisher did not offer comments for the story.

harshwcam3 · Member Joined: 18 Oct 2012 Posts: 114

Could this be the reason why G8 has not been allowed to move into T1A at BOM.

747-237 · Posted: Sat May 18, 2013 3:53 pm Post subject:

ILFC has taken possession of a (former) IT A320. The former VT-KFX has been ferried out of BOM to Bangkok Don Mueang yesterday under her current regn. EI-EYG.

747-237 · Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 7:24 pm Post subject:

http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/executive-vice-president-of-kingfisher-airlines-submits-his-resignation-20433

Executive Vice President of Kingfisher Airlines submits his resignation
May 21, 2013

Hitesh Patel, Executive Vice President, Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, who joined the airline nine years ago and was instrumental in the airline's launch in 2005, has put in his papers, as per a TOI report. Patel was also active in meetings with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and talking to prospective investors after airline was grounded last October.

According to sources, “Hitesh Patel is returning home to New York and will take a much-needed break before resuming work elsewhere. It was not easy facing the ire of employees and scores of other agencies, who have not been paid for months.," It is learnt that Patel stuck to the airline when the management was talking to investors but when nothing seemed to materialise, he decided to call it a day.

HAWK21M · Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 5:29 pm Post subject:

Now what.....still feel it'll restart......wake up folks....
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Think of the Brighter side !!!

d3vski · Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 10:11 pm Post subject:

It's been awfully quiet few months on the Kingfisher front. Something may be brewing. Any news on the Pay front and any truth in that 2 months salary was paid before IPL start?

Saharsh · Member Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 33 Location: Noida

What are they doing now? Just pure time pass. Well it's the time to pay your employees and get into/concentrate on his other ventures and businesses.
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“Aviation is proof that given, the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible.” - Edward Vernon Rickenbacker

HAWK21M · Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 5:20 pm Post subject:

Been quiet though.....Long time now.
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Think of the Brighter side !!!

vikramv2 · Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 9:11 am Post subject:

I think its about time to shut this thread on IT completely.
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