Jet Airways shares rise 6% to near 10-week high after government official rules out grounding more planes
FirstpostJet is in talks with leasing companies to restart operating several of its grounded aircraft, Pradeep Singh Kharola, secretary at the civil aviation ministry said Jet Airways Ltd’s shares rose about 6 percent on Wednesday to a near 10-week high, after a top aviation ministry official ruled out grounding more planes and said the carrier would fly 40 more aircraft by the end of April. Jet is in talks with leasing companies to restart operating several of its grounded aircraft, Pradeep Singh Kharola, secretary at the civil aviation ministry, told a news conference on Tuesday. Earlier this week, Jet Chairman and founder Naresh Goyal stepped down from the company’s board with lenders seizing control in a bid to save the airline from bankruptcy. Under the rescue plan, Jet’s lenders, led by State Bank of India, will issue a loan of 15 billion rupees to meet the airline’s obligations and will form an interim management committee to oversee operations.