Indian authorities to review Kingfisher safety

India’s top aviation safety officials are to meet with Kingfisher and Air India Express over new concerns.

Travel Insurance News - 09/01/2012

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The news comes after Bharat Bhushan and the country’s civil aviation body said that a recent report had raised red flags regarding finance-related safety standards for the global carriers. Bhushan has said that it will continue meeting with the airlines’ officials and added that both companies have been advised to take “several steps”.

According to the Times of India, the move by the country’s safety watchdog follows a report saying that the agency had “a reasonable case” for revoking Kingfishers’ license because current financial distress was likely to have adverse effects on the firm’s safety standards.

Kingfisher, owned by Indian liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, recently shut down its low-cost operations amid growing financial distress and has posted substantial losses over the last 12 months. The company is not alone, as five of the six Indian carriers are currently unprofitable.

Meanwhile, both airlines have stood behind their safety practices; Kingfisher said in a statement issued last week that it always operated with “utmost safety”. A spokesman for the airline told the AFP on Monday that company heads would be meeting with the DGCA on Thursday in regards to the audit.

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