Delhi High Court Calls SpiceJet's CEO and COO to Court Over Unpaid Dues
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New Delhi, Dec 16 (NationPress) In a new setback for the struggling low-cost airline SpiceJet, the Delhi High Court has ordered the chief operating officer (COO) and chief executive officer (CEO) of the airline to appear in court in response to a plea demanding compliance with over $6 million owed to the aircraft engine lessors.
The court has firmly rejected the request made by SpiceJet's counsel for the two senior executives to appear via video conferencing.
The court's order stated, "The chief operating officer (COO) and chief executive officer (CEO) of the judgement debtor are required to be present in court on the next hearing date, which is January 16, 2025." This ruling was issued on December 10.
Aircraft engine lessors, Team France 01 SAS and Sunbird France 02 SAS, have initiated legal proceedings against SpiceJet, demanding the return of aircraft engines due to the airline's failure to meet contractual obligations following the termination of their agreements.
Reports indicate that Team France is claiming a total of $24.7 million in unpaid dues for three engines that were leased to the airline. According to the High Court's orders, the three engines have been returned to the lessor by the airline, and Team France is now pursuing the recovery of the outstanding payments.
The court's order clarified that the request from SpiceJet's counsel for the appearance of the mentioned officers through video conferencing was explicitly denied.
Ajay Singh, the Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet, was previously summoned by the Delhi High Court last year regarding the airline's failure to pay dues amounting to Rs 440 crore to Kalanithi Maran.
Earlier this January, a court ruling mandated SpiceJet to pay an immediate $4 million to prevent the grounding of the engines.
