Jet Airways is ready to fly again after a gap of three years. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday granted Jet the air operators certificate.
The airline plans to resume commercial flights from the July-September quarter. Once India’s biggest private carrier, Jet stopped flying in April 2019 after running out of cash, owing billions to lenders and leaving thousands without jobs. The airline is set to become the first carrier to revive its operation under the bankruptcy law.
“With the receipt of AOC (air operator certificate), the Jalan Kalrock consortium has fulfiled all the conditions precedent under their NCLT approved resolution plan. This significant milestone paves the way for the comeback of the iconic airline in a new avatar with fresh funding, changed ownership and new management,” the consortium said in a statement.
The airline said it intends to start operations from the second quarter. Details on aircraft, the network system and loyalty programme will be announced in phases over the coming weeks, it said.
Additional appointments to the senior management will be unveiled next week and hiring for operational roles will commence in earnest, with former Jet Airways staff getting preference.
“Today marks a new dawn for not just Jet Airways, but also for the Indian aviation industry. We are committed to making this an extraordinary success story in Indian aviation and in Indian business. We are grateful to the NCLT, the ministry of civil aviation, and to the DGCA for supporting us at every step of our efforts to revive the airline,” Murari Lal Jalan, lead member of Jalan-Kalrock consortium, said.
The airline had conducted two proving flights on May 15 and May 17. It had also conducted its test flight to and from Hyderabad in a step toward obtaining AOC. Sanjiv Kapoor, chief executive officer, said “The ‘Joy of Flying’ was a tagline for Jet Airways in an earlier era. We are delighted to announce that The Joy is coming back!"
The airline in its old avatar was owned by Naresh Goyal and had operated its last flight on April 17, 2019. The Jalan-Kalrock Consortium is the promoter of Jet Airways at present.
