Jet Airways Takes To The Skies Again

Three years after it was grounded due to financial problems, Jet Airways took flight again. On 5th May, the homegrown airline company operated a test flight in Hyderabad and a positioning ferry flight to Delhi. This was to demonstrate that its Boeing VTSXE aircraft is capable of optimal functioning to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Following this, Jet Airways received security clearance from the Union Home Ministry to start planning the relaunch of its commercial flights. A letter sent by the Civil Aviation Ministry to the airline stated that it is "directed to refer to your application to convey security clearance for change in shareholding pattern of the company/firm, for scheduled operator permit, on the basis of security clearance received from the Ministry of Home Affairs."  

Jet Airways’ newly appointed CEO, Sanjiv Kapoor shared a photo with CFO, Vipula Gunatilleka on his Linkedin page stating, "Our CFO Vipula and I celebrating the return of the Jet Airways call-sign and aircraft to the skies today, a re-birth on Jet's birthday." Many others congratulated him on this milestone, hoping Jet Airways 2.0 could cast away the shackles that its earlier avatar was saddled with during 2019. 

Worth The Wait

A senior official at Jet Airways reiterated to Outlook Business that the proving flights (PV), operated at the last stage of getting an Air Operator Certification (AOC), are likely to occur by May end. The DGCA mandates PVs before inducting any new aircraft type into an airline’s fleet. 

This mandatory test allows the airline company to prove that their aircraft can conduct a commercial flight safely while adhering to DGCA’s rules and regulations. The flight is undertaken with the presence of airline personnel, including cabin crew and passengers on board. 

Jet Airways was forced to shut its operations in 2019 in the face of financial challenges. In October 2020, its Committee of Creditors (CoC) approved a resolution plan submitted by the Jalan Kalrock Consortium, led by Kalrock Capital and the UAE-based businessperson Murari Lal Jalan. 

Considered the ‘Successful Resolution Applicant’ during the bankruptcy proceedings, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved their resolution plan, and the Consortium was proposed as Jet Airways’ new promoters.

The Jalan Kalrock Consortium brought Sanjiv Kapoor on board as the brand’s CEO earlier in March. Expectations now abound that Jet Airways will relaunch its commercial flights by this year's end. 

The company has also started limited operational hiring, which was its proving flight and AOC process. After receiving several resumes from industry professionals, Kapoor clarified that the airline company would “be advertising for operational roles clearly and transparently after we receive our AOC. This will be a chance to create history together by bringing much-loved and much-missed Jet Airways back to the skies!”