AAI moves court against Kingfisher Airlines to recover Rs 294-crore dues

Vijay Mallya, the airline’s chairman and UB group head, and senior company executives have been named as defendants in the suit and they have been asked to respond to the airport operator’s claims.

The Airports Authority of India has filed a civil suit against Kingfisher Airlines in the Bombay High Court as the now-defunct carrier has failed to clear dues of Rs 294 crore (Rs 2.94 billion).

Vijay Mallya, the airline’s chairman and UB group head, and senior company executives have been named as defendants in the suit and they have been asked to respond to the airport operator’s claims.

Kingfisher Airlines suspended its operations in October 2012 and its operator permit lapsed in December 2014.

The suit filed by advocate Rekha Rajgopal on behalf of the AAI states the airline owes Rs 294 crore in dues and interest towards aeronautical and non-aeronautical charges till February 2014.

Kingfisher has faced lawsuits from GMR and GVK-group run airports and also faced cases of cheque bouncing.

Adding to the troubles for Mallya is an order from a metropolitan magistrate court in Mumbai directing him to give a notice of 48 hours before travelling abroad.

The metropolitan magistrate court has also said Mallya will have to produce two people as references whenever he has to go out of the country, according to Advait Sethna, special counsel for the service tax department.

The service tax department is fighting to recover Rs 37 crore (Rs 370 million) in dues from the airline.

A Kingfisher spokesperson did not respond to a query seeking comments.