Kingfisher Airlines is unlikely to start operations before October 21. While the airline’s operational department has sent a mail to its staff saying all flights are “cancelled till October 13/14,” Kingfisher’s Web site is accepting bookings from October 21. Earlier, the airline had hoped to start operations on October 4, but later extended the date to October 13.
Most online travel agencies that Business Line spoke to said that the airline wanted to start flying from October 21.
Incidentally, hours after a communication from the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) enquiring how could the airline accept bookings before replying to the regulator’s show-cause notice, the airline’s Web site stated that “all flights are subject to regulatory approval.” The DGCA has given the airline 15 days to reply why its licence should not be cancelled or suspended, as it has failed to maintain its schedule or pay its employees.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Aggarwal has written to the employees asking them to return to work.
“Unless we can keep our operations going, we will not be able to rectify the situation. We need you to help us to have any chance of getting back to normalcy. Without all of you, without exception, coming back to work, we will have no way forward,” the communication stated.