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Jet Airways gets security clearance from Centre. What does this mean?
On May 5, Jet Airways operated a test flight in Hyderabad and a positioning ferry flight to Delhi, three years after it shut its operations in 2019.
Jet Airways has been granted security clearance from the Union home ministry for its planned relaunch of commercial flights, reports said. This signifies a step closer to Jet Airways returning to the skies. A letter sent by the civil aviation ministry to the airline on May 6 informed it about the grant of the security clearance by the Union home ministry, news agency PTI reported.
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", the letter said.
What does this security clearance mean?
1. Jet Airways is all set for a relaunch in the coming months, after shutting down in 2019 owing to financial constraints.
2. On May 5, Jet Airways operated a test flight in Hyderabad and a positioning ferry flight to Delhi.
3. The test flight was conducted to prove to the DGCA that the aircraft was operating properly.
4. The airline said these were not proving flights which are operated at the last stage of getting an Air Operator Certification. Proving flights are similar to commercial flights with DGCA officials and airline officials as passengers and cabin crew members on board. The airline said, "We expect to schedule proving flights in the coming days, which would be jointly determined with DGCA."
5. "A very emotional moment for all the wonderful folks who have been working hard to get Jet back in the skies. This was a test flight, not a proving flight. The aircraft will position to Delhi this evening. Proving flight to be scheduled in the coming days from Delhi," CEO Sanjiv Kapoor wrote.
6. The security clearance, now granted to Jet Airways, can be withdrawn any time "in the light of any adverse inputs if so received from the ministry of home affairs in future," the letter added.
7. In 2019, a consortium of lenders, led by State Bank of India, filed an insolvency petition to recover outstanding dues worth over ₹8,000 crore. A year later, the airline's Committee of Creditors approved the resolution plan submitted by the consortium of the UK's Kalrock Capital and the UAE-based entrepreneur Murari Lal Jalan. In June 2021, this resolution plan was also approved by the National Company Law Tribunal.
(With PTI inputs)
