The lenders’ consortium, led by State Bank of India, has sought protection of prime airport slots of Jet Airways so that the value of the suspended airline does not erode further. In a communication to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the lenders have made a case for protecting the Jet slots.
“Adequate number of slots at metro airports will be protected by the government. These will only be given temporarily so that adequate number of seats are available,” said a person aware of the development. “The investors and prospective buyers of Jet Airways are aware of this and they will do their due diligence on what they can get and what they cannot,” he added.
Another source said the lenders had asked the government to retain 40 per cent of Jet Airways’ slots at all airports to ensure a new owner can kick-start operations soon after taking over. “The new owner can have concerns about restarting operations if enough slots are not available,” he said.
