Jet Airways cancels flights due to operational reasons

Crisis-hit Jet Airways on Sunday cancelled more than 10 flights due to operational reasons, according to a source. On February 7, the airline said four of its aircraft have been grounded due to non-payment of lease rentals. “A few flights of Jet Airways were today cancelled due to operational reasons,” an airline spokesperson said.

The source in the aviation industry said that more than 10 flights were cancelled from Mumbai airport alone.

“The airline regrets the inconvenience it caused to its guests. Affected guests have been re-accommodated while those seeking refunds have been compensated as per appropriate guidelines,” the spokesperson said. Faced with acute financial problems, the airline is looking to restructure debt and raise fresh funds.

Earlier on January 30, Jet Airways has cancelled 15 flights today following the grounding of six Boeing 737 planes due to non-payment of lease rentals, according to sources. The airline, which is grappling with acute financial woes, cancelled around 20 flights on Tuesday as three more Boeing 737 aircraft were grounded, they added. In two days, the carrier has grounded six such planes following non-payment of lease rentals.

RELATED

The sources said the airline would be cancelling 15 flights on Wednesday, including a few flights from the national capital to various destinations. "Jet Airways has defaulted on aircraft lease rentals and it has been forced to ground three more narrow-body Boeing 737 planes," a source told PTI earlier in the day.

Due to the fresh grounding of the planes, the airline, which is negotiating with its partner Etihad for an additional cash infusion, has cancelled as many as 19 flights to/ from Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Port Blair and Bengaluru, the source said.

The full-service carrier would be holding a meeting of the shareholders on February 21. The airline will seek shareholders' approval for conversion loan into shares or convertible instruments or other securities, according to a regulatory filing made on Monday.

The carrier would seek shareholders' nod to "convert the whole or part of the outstanding under loans, extended / to be extended by the lenders, into shares, or convertible instruments or other securities, of the company...", according to the notice of the meeting submitted to the stock exchanges.

The conversion will be done as per the terms contained in the respective loan documents between the company and its lenders. It would also be subject to all requisite regulatory approvals.

Besides, Jet Airways will seek shareholders' approval to negotiate and finalise the terms and conditions with the lenders for raising further loans from time to time as well as provide the lenders with a right to convert such loans into shares, or convertible instruments or other securities.