K'fisher license can be cancelled: India Govt; Mallya meets DGCA

New Delhi, Mar 20 (PTI) As Kingfisher boss Vijay Mallya explained the private air carrier's position to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) following summons, the Indian Government today warned the ailing carrier its flying licence can be cancelled if it failed to meet safety norms and financial viability conditions. "We are explaining the situation to DGCA and I hope he will be satisfied." Mallya told reporters ahead of his meeting with DGCA E K Bharat Bhushan. Mallya was summoned by DGCA today to present a "clear picture" of the cash-strapped private carrier, as the aviation regulator mulled cancellation of its flying permit. Ahead of the meeting, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh put the onus on Mallya to maintain its operations and adhere to the schedule even as government constituted a special team to check whether the aircraft used by the airline were safe. He said Kingfisher Airlines has not paid salaries to its employees, paid dues to oil companies and to the Airport Authority of India. "Also they have failed to stick to their schedule. They have revised their schedule 2-3 times but they have failed to adhere to it. DGCA is checking on the passenger safety aspect whether the planes are safe and pilots were in good condition," he told reporters. "We are not giving last chance or first chance to Mr Mallya. He has to decide whether to run the airline or to how to run the airline. DGCA is looking after the situation. To continue to have the licence, they have to have five aircraft but at present the financial situation is bad," he said. Kingfisher has a total debt of about Rupees 70.57 billion (about USD 1.41 billion) and accumulated losses of about Rs 60.0 bilion (about USD 1.2 billion). "The airline not only lacks aircraft, they also lack funds for day-to-day operations. They are failing to meet their flight schedule, causing inconvenience to the passengers and also they failed to give salaries to their employees for past four-five months," official sources said. PTI