Aviation Regulator Approves Jet Airways' Summer Schedule Till April 25

Aviation watchdog DGCA or Directorate General of Civil Aviation has approved the summer schedule of flights of Jet Airways from March 31 to April 25 only, according to an official document. The summer schedule of flights of all other domestic airlines such as Vistara, IndiGo, Air India and GoAir have been approved till October 26, according to the document.

The summer schedule begins on March 31, 2019 for all the airlines. As per the international practice, DGCA approves two flight schedules in a year, namely, 'summer schedule' effective from Sunday of the last week of March and 'winter schedule' effective from Sunday of the last week of October.

A major crisis at the struggling Jet Airways was averted on Sunday after its pilots' body, National Aviator's Guild (NAG), deferred till April 15 its call for halting operations. The NAG, which claims to represent around 1,100 of the 1,600 Jet Airways pilots, had announced earlier that its members will not fly from April 1, unless their salary dues were cleared and clarity was provided on future payments by March 31.

On March 25, Jet Airways' board approved a resolution plan formulated by SBI-led domestic lenders. Under the plan, lenders decided to take control of the airline and make a fund infusion of Rs 1,500 crore.

Consequently, the stake of promoter Naresh Goyal has come down to 25.5 per cent from 51 per cent, while that of Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, which had a 24 per cent stake in the carrier, came down to 12 per cent.