Elix Aviation Capital has set in motion efforts to recover three ATR72-500s currently on operating leases with troubled Indian carrier TruJet (TRJ, Hyderabad International).
The Hindu newspaper reported last week that the Irish lessor had asked the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to remove VT-TMK (msn 858) (stored at Ahmedabad) as well as VT-TMP (msn 875) and VT-TMU (msn 949) (both stored at Hyderabad International) from the Indian register.
TruJet operates an all-ATR - Avions de Transport Régional fleet with two more ATR72-500s leased from ENT!AERG and a single ATR72-600 leased from DAE Capital, all of which are parked. Last year, DAE recovered one of two ATR72-600s from TruJet which has since been placed with flybig (FLG, Indore). Despite earlier claims that TruJet would resume scheduled operations with a single plane, the flights never lasted beyond a few days.
“They (Elix) applied for three, however, only one aircraft is getting deregistered but that also we are trying to get it resolved. We are paying Elix USD1.2 million,” the airline's acting chief executive, Umesh Vankayalapati, told the paper.
He added that TruJet is in talks with an unspecified investor to secure the final tranche of a INR2 billion rupee (USD26 million investment).
“We have received INR300 million (USD3.9 million) so far from an investor out of the INR2 billion. We are expecting another INR500 million (USD6.5 million) in the next few days,” he said.
A source at Elix told the newspaper that the DGCA will likely complete the deregistration process given TruJet's debts have now accrued to over USD10 million. And despite Vankayalapati's assurances, the lessor is said to be "done" with TruJet.
Neither party was available for additional comment to ch-aviation.
