Court orders six SpiceJet aircraft grounded, airline to appeal

The Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered the civil aviation regulator to de-register six aircraft of SpiceJet for non-payment of dues to some of its lessors -- an issue which the budget carrier said is being resolved.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher also asked the Directorate General for Civil Aviation to decide in two weeks' time a plea by two Irish firms to export the planes. 

The court's directives came on the pleas of leading global aircraft lessors AWAS Ireland and Wilmington Trust SP Services (Dublin). The firms sought directions to de-register the aircraft leased by them to SpiceJet, on grounds of alleged non-payment of dues.

"We are studying the order and if so advised, we will take the matter to higher judicial forum. Dialogues are on with the lessors and expecting to resolve the issue very soon," a spokesperson for SpiceJet told IANS.  The move comes even as co-founder Ajay Singh, now back at the airline's helm, intervened and paid $10 million of the dues. The airline said the remaining amount was expected to be settled soon with the lessors of the Boeing B737 planes. 

The order to de-register the six planes comes at a time when the airline is trying to overcome its turbulent times since last year.  In Singh's second innings with the airline, he and his associates bought back the 53.5-percent stake in the airline that was sold to the Marans of Chennai, who own the Sun Group.SpiceJet stock closed on Thursday at Rs.21.75 -- down 4.40 percent from the previous day's closing in the Bombay Stock Exchange.