Jet Airways crisis: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Friday called for an urgent meeting to review the ongoing crisis in the private debt-laden Jet Airways. According to news agency PTI, the meeting has been called after Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu asked the secretary of the department to review issues concerning Jet Airways. The crisis-hit private air carrier is facing severe financial crunch and has grounded several of its flights and stopped all international operations lately. The reduction in operation was announced after the airline informed the exchanges that it was forced to ground 10 more planes due to non-payment of rentals to the lessors.

Reports also suggest that Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Civil Aviation Secretary called for an urgent meeting on Jet Airways with Nripendra Mishra who is the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier in the day, Prabhu took to Twitter and wrote: “Directed Secretary MoCA to review issues related to Jet Airways. Asked him to take necessary steps to minimise passenger inconvenience and ensure their safety.”

The private airline on Friday also announced a total suspension of its international flights till Monday. According to government norms, an airline must have a minimum of 20 planes for operating international operations.

The cash-strapped airline company is currently flying less than 50 domestic flights. “Jet is currently flying less than 50 domestic flights. The airlines has 16 aircraft available with them for flying,” a senior official of aviation regulator DGCA said earlier today.

“Jet flights to countries including London, Amsterdam and Paris from Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru were cancelled for operational reasons,” airlines said in an official statement adding it had also cancelled the Bengaluru-Amsterdam-Bengaluru flight on Friday.

The airline also announced that it will induct 16 Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft on dry lease to bring down flight cancellations and expand the airline's international and domestic presence. The announcement comes at a time when airfares have been on an upswing across India for the last few weeks due to a sharp decline in the number of flights primarily caused by the grounding of around 90 per cent of the 119-aircraft fleet of the cash-strapped Jet Airways.