Kingfisher cancels 12 flights due to crew shortage, fuel problems

15-crore cheque to AAI bounces, reports of plans to  cancel 31 flights daily till November 19

Travel News
Travel News

The crisis seems to be deepening for Kingfisher Airlines. On Monday the airline cancelled 12 flights from Delhi and several more from across the country reportedly due to a shortage of cabin crew and pilots.

The airline is also facing severe fuel problems due to non-payment of dues. Last week, a Rs 15-crore cheque issued by Kingfisher to Airports Authority of India (AAI) bounced following which the state-run airport operator put the airline back on daily cash-and-carry. 

Since this move threatened to completely disrupt Kingfisher's schedule that is already feeling the heat with pilots quitting, AAI started accepting some part payment but has called airline top brass to make its stand clear on the over Rs 200 crore dues now. The airline did not offer comment on this issue. 
The airline now plans to cancel 31 flights daily till Nov 19, including four international flights to Bangkok, the Mint newspaper reported, citing an unnamed airline official. 

The cash-strapped carrier, which has not reported a profit ever since it got listed and has undergone debt restructuring Once, has decided to cancel 27 domestic flights, the paper said, without specifying a reason. 

The cancellations include Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad routes, the report said. 

About a dozen of Kingfisher's aircraft are already out of service because of maintenance and other issues, the report said. 
Source: Times of India, Economic Times & The Mint

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