Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Jet's QIP plans not linked with expansion plans: Goyal


India's leading private carrier Jet Airways today said its aggressive overseas and domestic expansion plans are not linked with the USD 400-million qualified institutional placement (QIP) issue that provides cushion for buying more aircraft.

"Our expansion plan is not linked with the QIP issue. We are leasing and we are not planning to buy any more aircraft from funds raised via QIP, because we don't want our balance sheet to weaken," Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal told reporters here.

He added that QIP will be used to "repay some of our debt so that our interest payment comes down to improve the balance sheet".

He made it clear that Jet's aggressive fleet and route expansion plans were not linked with the QIP issue.

On relaxation of the foreign direct investment limit he said: "I don't see any problem in QIP... Policy is very clear. We are not a foreign company. There is no question of bringing down FDI. FIPB has asked for clarification and we will take some time to reply".

Goyal, who is in Italy as part of FICCI's CEOs delegation led by Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma , is exploring opportunities for expansion in the European market.

He said Jet Airways was looking to expand in more European cities besides Shanghai, Beijing and Manila in the coming years.

"We will use Delhi and Mumbai as hubs to take traffic beyond India. Nobody has done this ever".

The premier private carrier will start Mumbai to Rome direct flights next year.

Jet Airways is taking ten more Airbus A-330s and some of them will be delivered next year. A-300 and A-330 aircraft have more seats and some of them will fly to Europe, Goyal added.



By

NEHA JAIN
www.aerosoft.in                                                                                                                











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