Stung by SpiceJet, AAI issues payment notice to GoAir
02 Jan 2015
The Airports Authority of India (AAI), stung by payment defaults by Kingfisher Airlines and more lately SpiceJet, has asked GoAir to pay up dues worth about Rs38 crore within a week.
The AAI has issued a notice to the Wadia Group-promoted airline warning that it may be put on the "pay-as-you-fly" mode if the dues are not cleared on time.
A GoAir official said that the issue was being sorted out.
"Going by the bank guarantee of Rs30.50 crore that the AAI has secured from us, we have an excess amount of only around Rs8 crore towards the airport operator. We have received a communication from them asking us to pay the balance amount. We are hopeful of the issue being sorted out soon," the GoAir official said.
Due to AAI pressure last year, GoAir had doubled the collateral amount or bank guarantee from about Rs15 crore to Rs30.5 crore, the official said.
The airline owes this money to the government-run airport operator towards charges relating to route navigation, landing and parking at its airports across the country.
Under government pressure, the AAI has been forced to allow SpiceJet to use its airports under extended credit. But it will probably have to write off the bulk of Kingfisher's due
AAI is facing troubles with a number of airlines on payment front. National flag carrier Air India owes it over Rs2,000 crore in just the principal alone while the grounded Kingfisher owed it Rs167 crore and now it is barred from recovering Rs230 crore from SpiceJet as well.
