Kingfisher in talks with other airlines for safety checks

Move comes after aviation minister said the govt can't allow Kingfisher to fly until their aircraft are certified

Taking a cue from Union Minister Ajit Singh's statement that Kingfisher Airlines could approach other carriers for safety certification, the Vijay Mallya- promoted airline has reportedly approached Air India and others for getting its aircraft checked for certification.

"Kingfisher Airlines is in talks with Air India, IndiGo and Jet Airways to get its aircraft certified by their engineers for flying," an airline source said here this evening.

All these carriers operate a mix of Airbus and Boeing fleet while Kingfisher operates only Airbus planes.

Earlier in the day, the Aviation Minister had said, "We can't allow Kingfisher to fly until their aircraft are certified. (Since) their engineers are on strike, they can get the planes certified by other engineers also."

However, the minister warned that if the DGCA finds that Kingfisher is not sticking to its schedule or violating safety norms, action will be initiated.

Significantly, Singh ruled out shutting down the airline saying, "the government is not in the business of shutting down businesses," as that will "create lot of problems. Even with the 3% market share Kingfisher has, such a move will create a havoc."