Inkosi yezikhathi ezimnandi ingene esiphithiphithini esisha. Inkampani yotshwala i-Kingfisher Airlines ka-Vijay Mallya yehlulekile ukukhokha imali eqashiswayo kwa-GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) yama-A320 amane, ngokwesikhalo esifakwe inkampani yaseMelika nomlawuli wezindiza waseNdiya.
Iphatheke kabi ngenxa yokungaphumeleli, i-GECAS, omunye wabaqashi bezindiza abahamba phambili emhlabeni, icele imvume ku-Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA) yokuphuca indiza futhi ifune ukuthi ibhanoyi lisulwe ukubhaliswa endizeni.
Kodwa-ke, i-Kingfisher, elawulwa yi-UB Group ye-Mallya, iphika noma yikuphi okuzenzakalelayo futhi ithole umyalelo wokuhlala ovela e-Karnataka HC ukuvimbela ukubuyiswa.
“Akukho phutha engxenyeni yeKingfisher Airlines. Ukube bekunephutha, inkantolo ibingeke ilivume icala lethu. Iqiniso lokuthi inkantolo yasinikeza impumuzo ngokushesha... kukhombisa ukuthi inkampani yezindiza inecala elisobala nelibalulekile,” isikhulu seKingfisher Airlines, esicele ukungadalulwa, sitshele i-ET.
Isikhulu, nokho, sivumile ukuthi iKingfisher ibe nezingxabano ezithile ne-GECAS mayelana nemibandela yokubuyiselwa kwendiza futhi sasola inkampani yaseMelika “ngokungacabangeli.” I-Kingfisher Airlines yenqabile ukunikeza imininingwane ngengxabano ngesizathu sokuthi iphambi kwenkantolo. "I-GE iphatha izingxoxo zayo zebhizinisi nezamakhasimende ngokuyimfihlo futhi ayikwazi ukudalula noma yimiphi imininingwane," kusho umkhulumeli we-GECAS.
Isikhulu se-DGCA sikuqinisekisile ukuthi i-GECAS ibhalele umlawuli wezindiza ukuthi iphinde ithathwe indiza. “Kodwa besingakalubambi ucingo ngalokho. Kumele sizwe izinhlangothi zombili ngaphambi kokuthatha isinqumo,” kusho lesi sikhulu esicele ukungadalulwa.
Umdonsiswano ne-GECAS uyisibonelo sakamuva semali ebhekene neKingfisher. Izimali ezisalindile zenkampani yezindiza ezinkampanini zikawoyela nezikhumulo zezindiza zisematheni muva nje. I-Kingfisher Airlines ilahlekelwe yingqikithi yama-Rs 483.2 crore ngekota kuya kuSepthemba 30 walo nyaka, okucishe kuphindeke kabili ukulahlekelwa kwayo yonke okungu-Rs 253.1 crore esikhathini esifanayo ngonyaka odlule.
Izinkinga zeKingfisher ziyinkomba yezikhathi ezinzima embonini yezindiza yaseNdiya ebhekene nazo, ekhungethwe amanani entengo ezinkampani zezindiza ukuze zigcwalise izindiza kanye nezindleko ezikhuphukayo, ikakhulukazi enanini likaphethiloli. Ngenyanga edlule, imemezele isivumelwano nembangi yakhe enkulu iJet Airways lapho bobabili bezokwazi ukwabelana ngomthamo wokunciphisa izindleko.
Imboni yezindiza zase-India ibhekene nenkinga enkulu yezimali futhi kulindeleke ukuthi ithumele ukulahlekelwa cishe kwezigidigidi ezimbili zamaRandi kulo nyaka wezimali.
Ibhekene nokugcwala ngokweqile emakethe yasekhaya, okuhambisana nokuwa kwezimoto, i-Kingfisher isivele ibuyisele izindiza zayo ezimbili kwabaqashisayo futhi isengxoxweni yokubuyisela ezinye eziyisishiyagalombili. Inkampani yezindiza yeqembu i-UB iphinde yahlehlisa uhlelo lwayo lokusebenzisa izindiza zamazwe ngamazwe ukusuka eNdiya ukuya eHong Kong, Singapore naseSan Francisco.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- Iphatheke kabi ngenxa yokungaphumeleli, i-GECAS, omunye wabaqashi bezindiza abahamba phambili emhlabeni, icele imvume ku-Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA) yokuphuca indiza futhi ifune ukuthi ibhanoyi lisulwe ukubhaliswa endizeni.
- The official, however, admitted that Kingfisher had some disputes with GECAS on the terms of return of the aircraft and accused the US company of being “unreasonable.
- Kingfisher’s travails are a reflection of the tough times being faced by India’s aviation sector, which has been hobbled by predatory pricing by airlines to fill flights and rising costs, most notably in the price of fuel.
