Kingfisher can’t convince the government (or itself) that it should be allowed to fly

Kingfisher has yet to attract foreign investors following change in India's investing regulations. Photo by Leonora Enking.

In a desperate bid to retain its licence, grounded Kingfisher Airlines on Friday replied to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) notice of October 5 where the airline was asked why its permit should not be cancelled as it had "failed to establish a safe, efficient and reliable service". Highly placed sources said the airline's reply had nothing concrete to offer that could allay these fears and had just sought more time to reply.

"The three-page reply does nothing to allay our fears that Kingfisher does not have the financial muscle to fly. It says the management is in talks with foreign investors and also with striking employees to negotiate with them to return to work. It is an attempt to buy time. We are consulting our internal legal experts and would decide on whether they should be given more time," said sources.