The Chairman of Kingfisher Airlines, Mr Vijay Mallya, on Thursday assured the agitating pilots of his airline that their unpaid salary dues will be cleared soon.

The Chairman, however, refused to share details about where the funds for paying salaries and other dues will come from, especially as several banks have declared the airline as a non-performing asset.

The meeting had been called as pilots and other employees have not been paid for the past three months.

“That (where funds come from) is between the pilots and the management. I had a good productive, very interactive meeting with the pilots. Obviously, the salary issue was addressed. I have assurances that the pilot community will fly,” Mr Mallya told the media after a three-hour-long meeting with pilots.

The Chairman said that in the next two or three days you will hear the full plan. “Our plan is to make sure we get the confidence of the guests who fly with us return. That there is 100 per cent schedule integrity and reliability. That the authorities are happy all this will be worked out in the next three days.” Mr Mallya said.

Investor interest

He also indicated that one international airline and two non-airline investors were interested in investing in the airline.

Mr Mallya, however, claimed that the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules did not allow the investment to be made at the moment.

Meanwhile, Mr Mallya will meet with Director-General of the International Air Transport Authority (IATA) here on Friday.

“Financials will be discussed. But you should not forget the money that IATA is already holding,” Mr Mallya said when asked whether Kingfisher will make any payments to IATA at the meeting.

The airline has been suspended from the IATA booking settlement plan for not settling its financial dues, a move that made it impossible for travel agents globally to sell its tickets.

> ashphadnis@thehindu.co.in

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