More than five years ago on an April evening, cash-starved Jet Airways announced temporary grounding of operations after flying as a full service airline for 25 years. Since then, more than 20,000 jobs and money worth thousands of crores owed to lenders, vendors and passengers evaporated while awaiting an insolvency resolution. And today, the Supreme Court ordered the airline's liquidation, marking the formal completion of a turbulent journey into the sunset and shattering lean revival hopes.
Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal will purchase over one per cent stake in the airline from another promoter entity, Tail Winds, for up to Rs 45 crore (Rs 450 million).
The aircraft was called back to the parking bay at the time of taxiing.
Rejecting allegations of stashing away unaccounted money in Swiss accounts, Jet Airways on Friday said there is no account in the name of its Chairman Naresh Goyal in HSBC Bank, Geneva, though he is entitled to have bank accounts outside India as he is a Non-Resident Indian.
Sources said Unsworth had submitted a one-page letter indicating his interest in Jet but without any accompanying documents.
All India Jet Airways' Officers and Staff Association on Thursday said it has filed an appeal before the NCLAT against Jalan-Kalrock consortium's resolution plan for the airline. In October 2020, the airline's Committee of Creditors (CoC) approved the resolution plan submitted by the consortium of the UK's Kalrock Capital and the UAE-based entrepreneur Murari Lal Jalan. The plan was later cleared by the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
Jet Airways will be able to take to the skies once again, after aviation regulator DGCA on Friday granted it a revalidated air operator certificate, allowing the airline to resume commercial flight operations.
However, any progress on the deal depends upon Goyal giving up control of the company.
Airline sources said Goyal, who had stepped down as chairman of the carrier last month, has withdrawn his bid for the airline.
Jet Airways' loss widened for FY15 on higher cost.
"We humbly request to you to alleviate some of the hardships that we and engineers have been facing, by ensuring that the new Jet management does not further delay our pending salaries dues at the earliest," NAG general secretary Tej Sood said in an e-mail to SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar.
While Jet founder Naresh Goyal said he was willing to infuse Rs 700 crore and also pledge all his shares in the company provided he can have at least 25 per cent stake, the airline's foreign partner Etihad Airways insists he must not keep more than a 22 per cent stake.
'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 top executives who have put in their papers with immediate effect include Jet's chief executive officer (CEO) Vinay Dube, chief finance officer (CFO) and deputy CEO Amit Agarwal and company secretary Kuldeep Sharma.
Serious Fraud Investigation Office will probe the airline for instances of fund diversions and large-scale irregularities.
SBI is the lead lender to Jet Airways, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 8,000 crore.
The Naresh Goyal-promoted private airline, in which UAE national carrier Etihad holds 24 per cent stake, is facing acute cash crunch after posting two back-to back quarterly losses this year.
The unions opposed any move to force banks to lend more money to the airline, saying Naresh Goyal is still the promoter and major shareholder with 51 per cent stake and it is his headache to run the company or sell it to someone.
While media reports suggested that Tata-Singapore Airlines is looking at an all-stock merger of Jet, Tatas, in a statement said, discussions to take over Jet Airways have been preliminary and no proposal has been made
A mix of financial and strategic mistakes combined with poor expectations of the management are the reasons for the downfall of Indian airlines. For Jet, the deathly potion was even more toxic on account of the bitter squabbles between promoter Naresh Goyal and strategic partner Etihad Airways.
These are the four primary issues that have soured the relationship between SBI-led lenders and JKC and delayed the resumption of commercial flights by Jet Airways, once India's largest private airline, which went bankrupt in 2019. Over the past three years, the airline went through an insolvency process under which JKC's resolution plan was approved by a committee of creditors (lenders) and the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in October 2020 and June 2021, respectively. But this didn't mean an end to the problems.
India Inc reacted cautiously to allegations on Swiss a/cs.
'Shouldn't the DGCA ensure both safety and convenience of passengers?' 'And convenience has been a casualty as nobody knows which Jet flight would be grounded next, throwing passengers' plans in disarray,' says Nivedita Mookerji.
'Shouldn't the DGCA ensure both safety and convenience of passengers?' 'And convenience has been a casualty as nobody knows which Jet flight would be grounded next, throwing passengers' plans in disarray,' says Nivedita Mookerji.
Challenging the "illegal" reduction in its claim by the erstwhile resolution professional (RP) in the Jet Airways revival plan, the Punjab National Bank (PNB) has moved the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) citing discrimination. The NCLAT on Thursday issued notices to RP Ashish Chhawchharia and the committee of creditors on PNB's plea to set aside the insolvency court's approval of the airline's revival plan. It has posted the matter for further hearing on September 21.
Etihad has high hopes from Jet Airways deal in which it bought out majority stake in 2013.
The national carrier Air India is mulling an all-women crew flight.
The Etihad delegation was led by its CEO James Hogan at the meeting, which was also attended by Jet Airways promoter Naresh Goyal.
After 18 months of closure, what really could be salvaged? And the answer sadly is, precious little, Patience, perseverance and plenty of moolah is the way forward even assuming intent is in place, says Anjuli Bhargava.
Jet Airways expects to return to profit in the next 18 months, following implementation of a new route network and fleet strategy and cost optimisation measures.
Fresh troubles are brewing for Jet-Etihad deal.
Sebi wanted Jet to convince it that the deal did not amount to joint control alongside promoter Naresh Goyal.
Naresh Goyal-owned group companies, including the airline's general sales agent in India and abroad, and a car rental firm, are among those who have filed claims.
Additionally, promoter Naresh Goyal and Etihad Airways, which owns a 24 per cent stake in the airline, will infuse around Rs 2,000 crore into the airline, sources aware of the development said.
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On the high costs facing the Indian airline industry, Goyal said the factors included a depreciating rupee against the dollar, escalating jet fuel prices, high taxes and rising infrastructure costs.
Unruly scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday after the opposition members raised the issue of alleged phone tapping of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley, leading to a brief adjournment of the House.
Besides expanding the equity base of the premier Indian carrier, a major reason for Goyal to dilute part of his shareholding in Jet from 80 per cent has been the FIPB order to bring it down to regulatory levels.