Jet Airways cannot claim historical precedence over airport slots, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have said in an affidavit before the National Company Law Tribunal.
The ministry and the civil aviation regulator have said the government will consider the airline’s request for slots, according to existing policy. However, they have opposed the successful bidder Kalrock-Jalan consortium’s plea for mandatory approvals.
“According to the slot allocation guidelines issued in May 2013, the ‘use it or lose it’ rules define the historical precedence which is only granted for a series of slots… Jet Airways has not applied for slots for the last three consecutive seasons and hence, does not qualify for claiming the benefits of historical precedence,” the ministry and DGCA said in a joint affidavit.
