A source from Economic Times says that Jet Airways’ domestic operations now comprise just 12-15 planes, making it the smallest operating pan-Indian airline.
Industry experts say that such less fleet of planes makes it as ineligible to fly on international routes.
It is to be noted that Jet Airways is under debt and as such lenders have now taken control.
Also, there have been reports where the airways have told its Boeing 737 pilots to go for a without-pay, long leave absence.
In a communication to BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange), the airline said it grounded 15 more planes, but didn’t give the current fleet size. The airline says that there shall be several announcements coming in the future. It has told regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation that it plans to have 75 planes operating by the end of April.
In this context, it becomes important to note that “Indian rules say an airline has to have a 20-aircraft fleet and 120 daily domestic flights to fly internationally.”
Mark Martin, from Martin Consulting, said Jet was not compliant with international flying requirements. It is not strictly adhering to the Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG).
“But overall, the capacity shortage will really affect the pricing, especially with the onslaught of the peak-travel summer season,” he added.