Downturn effect: JetLite defers delivery of 4 Boeing craft

Jet Airways, today said owing to the prevailing economic conditions, it has rescheduled the delivery of four Boeing Aircraft, which it was to acquire for its budget airline JetLite.

"Deliveries have been deferred by JetLite due to the current downturn and need to cut down capacity," Jet Airways Executive Director Saroj Datta told PTI here.

The airline was supposed to take delivery of these planes in 2010 and 2011, Dutta said, adding, "the aircraft will now be delivered in 2011, 2012 and 2013."

Deliveries of the remaining five aircraft in 2011 and 2012 remain unchanged at present, he said.

The Jet official said the postponement has nothing to do with its on-going litigation with Sahara India Commercial Corporation (SICCL).

"The on-going litigation has nothing to do with the decision, which was taken sometime back," he said.

Jet had bought the erstwhile Sahara Airlines from Sahara India after a renegotiated deal for a sum of Rs 1,450 crore and later rechristened it as JetLite.

However, SICCL filed a petition in March, claiming that the Naresh Goyal-owned airline had defaulted on the installment amount due as payment for acquisition of Sahara Airlines (now JetLite) and hence was liable to pay the original deal amount of Rs 2,000 crore and not the re-negotiated amount of Rs 1,450 crore.