Kingfisher - whats their game plan
 

Kingfisher crisis deepens; govt says no bailout | Reuters

Reading about Kingfisher and more confused about what is going on.
What is their plan really? What are restructuring laws like in India. I'm guessing its not quite like the US else they would have declared bankruptcy already.

It needs to shut down.
Mallya needs to let his ego go and the Indian government needs to stop feeding his pride.

Game plan is to blame everyone except themselves for the current chaos. First it was the Bird strikes that caused the disruptions and now they claim its because the Tax department froze their accounts. What do you expect the tax department to do if you do not pay the taxes that you have deducted from the employees salaries? KFA is the most unreliable airline in Indian today. Today the Tax department froze its accounts, tomorrow the Oil companies will stop supplying fuel and day after tomorrow vendors will stop supplies... How long will this saga continue?? Nobody knows.

Game Plan? More like "Game Over"!

Now the horde of experienced ex KFA pilots with thousands of hours on type is going to make it almost impossible for airlines to want to hire low hour cpl holders.

KFA's demise is nothing to rejoice over.

Flanker, if the airlines are smart they won't take the ex KFA guys....

Why? Because if they are clever they take guys with no type rating and hours on type, and make money of their type rating and line flying = Free First Officers.

^ that is very true, two airlines in India are particularly good at that :E

Anyway the fact is that with so many experienced Indian pilots looking for a job, the freshers are going to find it extremely tough in the coming year at the least.

Interesting fact. I know of one KFA f/o on the A-320 who recently got hired onto Spicejet as a Q400 training captain.Now that is a change of scenery !

Frozen bank accounts led to disruptions: Kingfisher

"According to airline sources 35 pilots quit the airline last week without serving notice. "Most of them are joining IndiGo, which had promised bonus if they accept the offer by February 15,'' the source said. An equal number of pilots from Delhi have refused to fly since the last week, protesting delays in salary."

The only thing that is keeping KF alive is VJ's status as MP and influence on Govt Policy. All lenders and Lessors are in arrears and would love to repossess but fear the obstacles that would be raised if the aircraft recovery is deemed to be a repossession. One German Bank "repossessed" 2 aircraft last month and the DGCA immediately deregistered them so that the Bank could not fly them out.

Other lenders have found that their aircraft are in bits, robbed parts or engines in overhaul shops with large amounts of unpaid bills so the aircraft need to be rebuilt before they can be flown out.

And then there is the issue of expats working for the other airlines if the KFA (Indian) pilots are out of a job.

Flankerpilot "Interesting fact. I know of one KFA f/o on the A-320 who recently got hired onto Spicejet as a Q400 training captain.Now that is a change of scenery !"

Yeah and very wrong!

So the guy is, a new Commander (What about Command course) New on type.. and he is going to be training people?

To be honest, I think the is bull... Even the DGCA have minimums before someone is able to be a trainer.. Your friend can not even legally give assisted takeoffs and landings.

Capacity and prices
 

I don't think the government is offering any bailout and any package they offer cannot be only to KF. The losses of most airlines that declare their results are massive and not only restricted to KF. Indigo is not obligated to declare it's results so any information on them is speculative.

The game has become about cash flow and not profitability. Jet has a $1 billion loss more than KF but is maintaining cash flow, but for how long can one spin the web.

With KF being disrupted the fares are spiraling upwards across the board. It is in the governments best interest to relook at ATF taxation which in some states is over 35% and some landing fees and charges to reduce operating costs across the board. In addition they need to ensure that bottom predatory pricing is controlled for the next 3 years to avoid this situation that IMHO was the brain child of the gopi man on weed and is the root cause of the issue.

KF has spiraled faster than the others because he blew his wad on Deccan instead of letting him crash and burn (not literally) and his fickle mind of low cost/fine dine/low cost/fine dine cattle class / presidential suite.

To top it all his son with 50 days of experience is actually a pointless exercise in dynasty power.

It is true his ego is the only thing keeping it afloat, but even the fat man will need to bite humble pie. He should go in for a restructuring exercise that includes professionals only, stick his nose out and involve all stake holders by which I mean, employees, banks, equipment manufacturers and the airports.

Most importantly stick to one concept and do not change it. I have no idea if I am going to be flying third, second or first class or maybe even standing up at this stage with his concept of First, Regular or Red!!!!!

RIP KF..

Sympathies with all employees..

@PT6A my apologies I meant to say "transition" captain instead of "training". Huge difference there.

kingfisher to spicejet
 

guys as far as spicejet and Q400 is concerned all the Indian captains are DEC's most of them directly from the IAF. Do a little research on the Deputy Chief Pilot for the Q 400.:ok:

@ thegrapevine

Not clear as to what you are implying about the pilot in question.

He is an ex air force pilot with more than 10 yrs commercial flying experience and has a proven track record as one of the best ground school instructors for DGCA exams.

Are you doubting his competence?

His interpersonal skills are another matter entirely but I do not believe he lacks expertise or knowledge

I would also like to know what you have against Ex IAF pilots joining the airlines.
They have thousands of hrs of experience flying jets and high performance ones at that. they join the airlines with ATPL in hand and so can be groomed for command much faster than freshers. Does their past experience and maturity not qualify them as transition captains?
It would take a fresh CPL DEC at least 2 years to build the necessary hours for ATPL issuance, not to mention the skill required for command, which sometimes takes longer.
In addition, there are many first officers in all the airlines who are unable to clear the atpl exams even though they have the necessary hours. I would rather have the IAF pilots as commanders and transition captains. at least they have the experience and have cleared the necessary papers to get their ATPL.

By the way, this is not just the case here but all over the world, you are welcome to prove me wrong if you can find facts that say otherwise.

^^Go ask the ex IAF pilot you are so blindly defending what was the reason for his early retirement.

I have nothing against any of the IAF pilots. I dont know what made you believe so.

Talking about the particular individual, i am not competent enough to judge his skills and knowledge, but i do believe that his temperament might hamper the CRM, but than again its just my personal opinion. I have seen many chief pilots and FID's who are very friendly and cool headed but still hold their authority and respect.

PS: I hold utmost respect for all the IAF pilots and my fav Captain is an Ex-IAF guy! so cheers!

I happen to know him personally and I am not defending him blindly.

I agree about his temprament, mentioned it in my post but then I have not worked with him so its not fair for me to comment on him as a professional which is what you are doing. (liedetector and Grapevine).

I dont know how and when he wronged you but please refrain from using this forum for personal attacks.

As for his IAF tenure, there are always two sides to the story and I happen to know his side but you can ask him in person for his explanation.

Cheers and all the best in your flying careers.

Is that what you were asked to memorise in his classes?

Just calling a spade a spade, and there are no two sides to the verdict announced in a court of inquiry held in the defense forces.

His might and pomp only work in front of his 20year old cpl holder students, he has been put in his place many times by the seniors in aviation and this will continue to happen.

He is exactly what is wrong with aviation and why it is infamous and comes in the wrong section of the news. If Blind ego and false sense of superiority are ok in your books then by all means stick to that, but don't come out and blabber about things you do not know or understand.

Just my 2 cents.

Like i said, i dont know what he did to hurt you but its really affected you bad.

FYI, I am not one of his students. and I am not a 20yr old kid who would be awed by his style. I have known him longer than that.

Anyways, I have nothing more to say.
no point arguing.
other peoples views about him are not my problem, nor his.
you are welcome to your opinion as are others.

Only one piece of advice, dont come to this forum looking for a fight.
There are better ways of saying what you feel.

All the best to you.


Getting back to topic, KFA and air india are in the s***t because of poor management/vested interests. Neither will recover until a change of management.
The indian aviation pie is big enough for both of them to make money again, but not with the people who are currently running things.

Last 48 hours...
 

Mark my word...

The CEO resigned today, all the banks have stated they will not extend further credit, the DGAC are inspecting every aircraft prior to take off amid safety concerns.

The Operator License will be revoked within 48 hours.

Not Bullsh*t - the facts.

Actually, that's a prediction. :) It might be pretty good.

I'll predict an attempt to keep the ship afloat, if for no other reason than to give creditors a fighting chance at recovering some of their losses.

The airline will shrink greatly, and they'll be a housecleaning. Mallya will have to be locked out of the room, of course.

Now let's see who's right ... or less wrong.

And who is providing oversight over the DGCA during this dog and pony show?:hmm:

Two excellent Kingfisher ambassadors...
 

I hope Captains Roy and Jhaveri @ Kingfisher are able to find good jobs (perhaps EK or another Indian airline) after this situation. :ok: From a non-Indian, I felt they were certainly excellent ambassadors for Kingfisher and the beauty of India in this video a few years ago:

Kingfisher

Any updates about them appreciated. I wish them and the other KF pilots well!

PMs welcome.

Some more reassurances from the DGCA for unsuspecting fare paying KFA customers.


KINGFISHER-FLIGHTS 2 LAST, IBN Live News

Kingfisher submits fresh schedule to DGCA | Deccan Chronicle


Uncertainty hangs over Kingfisher funding - Business Today - Business News

Is BA booking their passengers for onward travel within India on King Fisher? And is BA honoring onward travel of King Fisher passengers beyond Heathrow?

Lots of coverage of "Dr." Mallya in today's Times.

He either wants Indian investment regulations to be changed in order to allow Etihad to take a stake in Kingfisher or wants someone to take a major stake in White & Mackay. For the latter, he is contemplating a public offering in India - which would take at least six months to get on track.

Dr.!?!?!:eek: Dr. of what? Economics or Business Administration:ugh:? Oh crap:mad:, now I’ve done it… coffee all over my screen and key board.


Kingfisher has organised funds to pay salaries: Vijay Mallya - Money - DNA

Mallya slams Indian media as sensationalist, says overdue salary personal sorrow


Let's see if this slime bag bottom feeding SOB uses the funds to pay his employees.

Two cheers for Indian aviation | beyondbrics | News and views on emerging markets from the Financial Times

Personal sorrow?? Yeah right!!:=
He spent over a million dollars to buy an over rated bowler for his Royal Challengers Bangalore Cricket team in Indian Premier League (IPL). :D

curiouser and curiouser....
 

The Curious Case of Vijay Mallya and his bailout. And one more scam! « The Kaipullai's Vetti Thoughts : The outer playground of my inner devil

interesting read.

I highly doubt KF will shut down (too much to lose for a lot of well connected and influential people) but if they do recover they would be at best competing with Go-air for the bottom segment.

Any speculation as to what's happening to the A380 they ordered?

While VJ does have two rupees to rub together... he refuses to pay his employees. No government bailout. So who do you think is gonna pay for the new jet? Do you think EDS is gonna give KF a brand new jet with no money?

Sooooooo... what sort of speculation does one need to muse upon about the A380:}?

Pilots threaten Feb 29
 

EXCLUSIVE! Pilots threaten as Kingfisher bleeds ....more defaults..... Anybody know about this?

Neelam Mathews
Feb 29, 2012


It’s that time of the month again. Aerospace Diary learns pilots of ailing Kingfisher Airlines have threatened not to come to work from tomorrow March 1, if the backlog of their 3-month salary is not cleared.


We also hear the airline is caught again with dues yet to be paid to IATA. This follows a recent default when Kingfisher had come close to being blacklisted by IATA for non payment.


Bad luck seems to come in 3 or 4s for the airline. An official told Aerospace Diary lessors are demanding the return of two AOGs, not under proper care. It is not clear if they are A330s or A320s. If the former, it could be likely the carrier’s operations to London and Hong Kong could be hit badly. Already, Kingfisher counters are manned with a skeleton staff taking care of a handful of passengers.


Is the media to blame for this as Vijay Mallya’s recent note to his employees claim, one wonders.



http://aerospacediary.********.com/

KF employees unite and strike over no pay!
 

Good luck to the folks at KF.

Kingfisher employees strike work over salaries, some flights delayed - Hindustan Times

Not looking good.

Kingfisher Airlines' bank accounts frozen - Channel NewsAsia



Kingfisher Airlines' bank accounts frozen
Posted: 03 March 2012 2047 hrs

NEW DELHI: India's Kingfisher Airlines received a fresh jolt after federal revenue officials froze 40 bank accounts of the debt-crippled carrier, a report said on Saturday.

The Press Trust of India said Indian authorities had sealed the accounts because of non-payment of taxes.

"Over Thursday and Friday, we froze 40 bank accounts of Kingfisher Airlines. They failed to meet the February 29 deadline to make the (tax) payments," service tax department commissioner S.K. Solanki told the news agency.

"The airline owes 400 million rupees (US$8.16 million) to the department," Solanki added.

The move comes after federal income tax authorities earlier froze other accounts of the struggling carrier after it failed to pay tax arrears.

In addition to back taxes, Kingfisher owes suppliers, lenders and staff millions of dollars and has scrapped scores of scheduled flights with only 28 of its fleet of 64 aircraft in operation.

Many of its planes have been reclaimed by lessors or are awaiting spare parts.

The airline was the country's second-largest until earlier this year when its cash woes deepened.

Industry body the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation has estimated that Kingfisher requires an injection of at least US$400 million to keep in business.

The company's net loss widened sharply to 4.44 billion rupees (US$88 million) in the three months to December from a loss of 2.54 billion rupees a year earlier while its debt totals at least US$1.3 billion.

Company chairman and brewer baron Vijay Mallya has said closing Kingfisher "is not an option" and is seeking fresh capital infusions to avert collapse.

Late last month, media reports said Mallya told employees in an email that the airline had raised money to pay back salaries.

Mallya has told The Times newspaper in London that Kingfisher is in discussions with two unnamed foreign airlines about a tie-up that could save the carrier.

Analysts have mentioned IAG, parent company of British Airways, and Etihad Airways, flagship carrier of the United Arab Emirates, as firms that might be interested in a Kingfisher stake.

- AFP

KFA CEO Threatens shutdown
 

KFA CEO threatens shut down and tells pilots you can quit....

Kingfisher Arlines management threatens pilots of shutdown - The Times of India



Really f@*#% up

Guys get out before it is too late.. cut your losses and move enbloc to Indigo...or any one who will PAY you YOUR salaries..

Dont let them take you hostage.
 

It is a classic hijack situation, although with a twist. The terrorists (CEO, Chairman etc.) are holding you pilots at ransom with the threat of blowing up the aircraft.

Are you not trained to deal with this? Do you not have ex-IAF officers trained in crisis management in your group? Why are you letting the management rape you for the 3rd consecutive month (pain without pay)? Is it so much against Indian culture to act as a team when under threat? Where are the Leaders, Commanders, Captains, Officers?

Only hope now for some damage control is to immediately get together and sue the culprits in a Class Act; can be done as a "no win-no pay" arrangement. Don't believe the classic "if you behave, we may reward you" carrot-tactics employed by most terrorists. The money is lost unless you fight for it, and the ship is lost no matter what.

In any serious crisis there comes a time when you just cannot be in denial any longer, regardless how grave the truth is. For you guys at KFA, the time is now! Best of luck.....

T

This creep is nothing more than a shyster. He has committed grand larceny, with the consentof the DGCA, and Central Government. Thebloody lot should be thrown in jail until the employees have received theirfull pay, and the tax man has gotten his money too.

VJ is nothing less than a bottom feeding possum breath prick with no morals, or conscience.