Business
Court orders six SpiceJet aircraft grounded, airline to appeal
New Delhi, March 19
The Delhi High Court on
Thursday ordered the civil aviation regulator to de-register six
aircraft of SpiceJet for non-payment of dues to some of its lessors --
an issue which the budget carrier said is being resolved.
Justice
Rajiv Shakdher also asked the Directorate General for Civil Aviation to
decide in two weeks' time a plea by two Irish firms to export the
planes.
The court's directives came on the pleas of leading
global aircraft lessors AWAS Ireland and Wilmington Trust SP Services
(Dublin). The firms sought directions to de-register the aircraft leased
by them to SpiceJet, on grounds of alleged non-payment of dues.
"We
are studying the order and if so advised, we will take the matter to
higher judicial forum. Dialogues are on with the lessors and expecting
to resolve the issue very soon," a spokesperson for SpiceJet told IANS.
The
move comes even as co-founder Ajay Singh, now back at the airline's
helm, intervened and paid $10 million of the dues. The airline said the
remaining amount was expected to be settled soon with the lessors of the
Boeing B737 planes.
The order to de-register the six planes
comes at a time when the airline is trying to overcome its turbulent
times since last year.
In Singh's second innings with the
airline, he and his associates bought back the 53.5-percent stake in the
airline that was sold to the Marans of Chennai, who own the Sun Group.
SpiceJet stock closed on Thursday at Rs.21.75 -- down 4.40 percent from the previous day's closing in the Bombay Stock Exchange.