The consortium of UAE-based businessman Murari Lal Jalan and London's Kalrock Capital -- which has won the bid to revive Jet Airways -- on Monday said it expects to start operating the airline by the summer of 2021.
As he took the bow at the end of the Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI show, many in the crowd cheered for him with an inkling that the magic and the beauty they just witnessed on the ramp was perhaps for the last time. But no one in the fashion fraternity thought that Bal would pass away so soon.
Jet Airways, which is preparing to relaunch operations next year, on Friday said it is in "advanced discussions" with Boeing and Airbus for buying and leasing planes. The grounded airline has been acquired by Murarilal Jalan-Kalrock Capital consortium under the insolvency resolution process. The ongoing discussions are part of the grounded airline's revival plan approved by the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), the airline said in a regulatory filing on Friday.
Jet Airways is in discussions with aircraft manufacturers and lessors to lease 6-8 planes, including some of those which were to be delivered to Russian carriers prior to the Ukraine war, as it gets ready for the relaunch, according to sources. Moreover, the airline is also negotiating with airport operators to secure slots with "good" timings, they said. Once a major player in the Indian aviation space, the carrier has not flown since April 17, 2019 and is being revived under the ownership of the Jalan-Kalrock consortium.
The bulk of Indian carriers flying to Dubai are low-cost carriers, which include IndiGo, Air India Express, and SpiceJet.
The Centre on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court not to hear this week the pleas on the vexed legal question of whether a husband should enjoy immunity from prosecution for the offence of rape if he forces his wife, who is not a minor, to have sex.
'The government has assured us support.' 'The civil aviation ministry have told us that whatever we need, we will get prime airport slots and bilateral rights.'
The Bombay high court on Monday granted interim bail for two months on medical grounds to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. A single bench of Justice N J Jamadar said Goyal shall pay a surety of Rs 1 lakh and not leave Mumbai without prior permission from the trial court. "The applicant (Goyal) shall be released on interim bail for a period of two months. He shall abide by all conditions imposed," the bench said.
As and when Jet Airways applies for slots, these would be allocated among all airlines according to guidelines, without any claim of historicity in favour of any airline. Slots would be given to Jet only from the available remaining pool.
It couldn't be immediately ascertained whether he has partnered with any entity or airline for the bid.
His vision for Jet Airways is to operate the carrier as a full-service airline, both domestic and international.
There are only three entities left in the fray now - Russian Fund Treasury RA Partners, Panama-based investment firm Avantulo Group and South American conglomerate Synergy Group Corp.
Synergy Group, the sole potential bidder for Jet Airways, had sought more time to take a decision on investing in the grounded airline.
Jet Airways is seeing a churn in its senior management ahead of its planned take-off this year. Sudhir Gaur, accountable manager and acting chief executive officer, is the latest to quit the company. Finance head M Shivakumar and head of management information system (MIS) Farazad Patrawalla moved out a few weeks earlier. Gaur had been part of the initial team selected by the Kalrock-Jalan consortium, which secured approval from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) last June to revive the airline.
The Kalrock-Jalan consortium - new owners of Jet Airways - has got an assurance from around 30 airports that if the airline restarts operations, 170 pairs of slots can be made available. However, whether those slots will be according to the airline's demand will depend on the order of the insolvency court, which is slated to come next week. Sources said the new management feels it is extremely important that some of those slots are restored or else its business plan of operating Jet as a premium carrier will not be viable.
The office, spread over 52,775 square feet carpet area, in Mumbai's suburban financial centre Bandra Kurla Complex, is on the fourth floor of the building 'Jet Airways Godrej BKC'.
Agarwal submitted the express of interest through his family investment arm Volcan Investments before the close of the bid process on Saturday afternoon.
Indigo has zero competition on 61.2 per cent of its 838 domestic routes.
"The central government had rescued other businesses by re-structuring debts to the tune of Rs 30,000-40,000 crore. Compared to this, the amount (debt) of Jet Airways was much smaller. Moreover there was a resolution (accepted) by the lenders to save jobs and to save the airline," Sharma said.
Brookfield Asset Management will pay around Rs 29,000 per square foot for the 170,000 square feet of space in Jet Airways' two-floor office in Bandra Kurla Complex.
The consortium of UAE-based businessman Murari Lal Jalan and UK-based private equity fund Kalrock Capital is rushing to restart Jet Airways' operations, even though differences have emerged over who will fund expenses before operations commence, sources said. The airline applied to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for recertification of its air operator certificate in the last week of January. The regulator is likely to inspect the airline's preparedness to operate a flight in the middle of this month, after which it will be asked to operate a proving flight to demonstrate its ability to conduct flights safely and in accordance with rules.
Shailesh Singh, 45, jumped off the terrace of his four-storeyed building in Nalasopara East on Friday afternoon.
For Jet's revival, Mr Jalan should be on the scene long enough for everyone to get to know him, appreciate his skills, and not vanish into thin air within a matter of months or even weeks, observes Anjuli Bhargava.
The order came days after Goyal told the court that he had "lost every hope of life and it would be "better if he died in jail" than living in such a situation.
Gulf carrier Etihad Airways on Thursday entered into an agreement with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to become its official sponsor.
Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal's cancer was at a preliminary stage and not life threatening, a special court said here on Thursday while refusing to grant him interim bail on medical grounds. The court, however, permitted Goyal, arrested in a money laundering case, to undergo cancer treatment at a hospital of his choice for two months. Goyal (74), who is lodged in Arthur Road jail in central Mumbai, had sought to be released on interim bail to undergo treatment for cancer.
'Just look at China: They have five or six major airlines and some smaller ones.'
Cricketer Virat Kohli has reclaimed the top position in brand value, now reaching $227.9 million, surpassing Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, who holds the second spot with $203.1 million, according to Kroll's 'Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2023: Brands, Business, Bollywood'. The report ranks India's most influential celebrity brands by assessing their brand values derived from endorsements and social media presence.
The ministry and the civil aviation regulator have said the government will consider the airline's request for slots as per existing policy.
An overriding ambition to rule the domestic skies prevented Jet Airways from becoming a strong and formidable player in the international market. The Sahara buy added to the complexity of its operations and a dilution of what the airline stood for, says Anjuli Bhargava.
'Boeing has returned some cash to the airline which will help it improve the current liquidity crisis.'
Currently bankers are trying to stave off bankruptcy even as media reports said Etihad Airways, which already owns 24 per cent in the airline, has teamed up with the Hindujas to buy the airline.
The lenders are offering 31.2-75 per cent stake in the company on a fully diluted basis.
A committee of creditors had, in October, approved of the resolution plan submitted by UAE businessman Murari Lal Jalan and Kalrock Capital.
A Nepalese private plane crashed and caught fire shortly after taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday, killing 18 people aboard, including a child, and seriously injuring the pilot -- the only survivor.
The septuagenarian, who turned teary-eyed, submitted that he misses his wife Anita very badly and said she is in the advanced stage of cancer, according to court records.
Jet Airways had appointed Ball as its CEO in May last year.
Two associations representing pilots and engineers have written to SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar proposing that they would take over the airline and can bring in up to Rs 7,000 crore.
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Jalan-Kalrock consortium, the new owners of the cash-strapped Jet Airways, to deposit Rs 150 crore in SBI's escrow account by January 31, saying failure to do so will mean that the consortium is not in compliance with the terms of the resolution plan for reviving the airline. The top court, meanwhile, also refused to allow the separate plea of the Jet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Welfare Association seeking payment of provident fund and gratuity dues, observing if additional money is awarded, the resolution plan will become "unworkable". The consortium, as per the lawyers for the workmen, has to pay over Rs 200 crore towards dues on account of PF and gratuity.
After a highly volatile trading day, the scrip skyrocketed 93.35 per cent to close at Rs 64 on the BSE, helped by robust fag end buying.