A Jet Airways plane took off from Hyderabad Airport shortly after 2 p.m. on Thursday, marking the airline’s first flight since it was grounded in 2019 due to financial difficulties. This test flight, which lasted around 90 minutes, arrived in Hyderabad and came ahead of the airline’s ‘proving flight,’ which is slated to take place in the coming days. The Boeing 737-800 aeroplane with the flight number 9W101 left Hyderabad for Delhi later on Thursday evening.
Jet Airways, created by Naresh Goyal and which flew its first commercial aircraft on May 5, 1993, flew its last commercial flight on April 18, 2019, when it fell under a mountain of debt. After filing for bankruptcy, the firm was purchased by a consortium led by UAE-based billionaire Murari Jalan and UK-based Kalrock Capital. The consortium has pledged $180 million in cash, with $60 million going toward paying off the airline’s existing debts.
Proving flights are operated is one of the last steps in an airline’s application for an Air Operator Certification (AOC). In the case of Jet 2.0, this would imply revalidation of the AOC. Pilots, cabin crew, DGCA officials, and any other airline workers needed to assist the trip execute the proving flights. The airline’s ground operations, as well as the flight’s cockpit and cabin crew, are evaluated for operational expertise and adherence to pre-defined SOPs and regulatory norms.
Jet Airways’ proving flight would be aboard a Boeing 737-800 that was originally leased by the airline but was later leased by SpiceJet when Jet was grounded.
Over 200 workers have already been employed across the airline’s primary roles. Sanjiv Kapoor, a former SpiceJet and Vistara executive, has been named CEO by the promoters. “We are in the advanced stages of defining our fleet strategy, and will disclose once we are ready to discuss,” the cited spokesman told The Indian Express. The airline expects to begin commercial operations in the third quarter of this year, according to the spokeswoman.
The consortium was given 270 days from the date of the National Company Law Tribunal’s (NCLT) ruling in June 2021 to fulfil the requirements necessary for the revival plan’s execution, and this period was extended. Prior to the new deadline, the promoters must guarantee that all necessary certifications for running the airline are in place. Furthermore, even if the founders have committed to an initial investment of $180 million, efficient operations with minimum cash burn will be critical for the airline’s sustainability once it gets off.
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