Feel sorry for Jet Airways, says Mallya

LONDON: Fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya took to Twitter on Wednesday to sympathise with the financially strapped Jet Airways and its promoters, wondering why “so many airlines” had run aground in India.

Mallya, who was chairman of the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines (KFA), is facing extradition to India on charges of financial irregularities amounting to over ~9,000 crore, including loans given by banks to KFA, which closed operations in 2012.

“Even though Jet was a major competitor to Kingfisher at the time I feel sorry to see such a large private airline on the brink of failure when Government used 35k crores of public funds to bail out Air India. Just being a PSU is no excuse for discrimination,” he tweeted.

Stating that he invested “hugely” in KFA, he continued: “True, Kingfisher borrowed from PSU Banks as well. I have offered to pay back 100 percent but am being criminally charged instead. Airline Karma?” In earlier tweets too, he had claimed that he offered to repay all loans.

“Every time I say that I am willing to pay 100 percent back to PSU Banks, media say I am spooked, terrified etc of extradition from the UK to India. I am willing to pay either way whether I am in London or in an Indian jail. Why don’t Banks take the money offered first?”

Mallya went on to express sympathy for Jet Airways’ promoters Naresh Goyal and Neeta Goyal who, he wrote, built an airline that India should be “extremely proud of”.