“The only thing we can say is that we are currently looking at replacing the Dutch government plane,” said Marianne Wuite, a The Hague-based spokeswoman for the Ministry of Infrastructure, without confirming or denying the interest in the luxury jet. “We will inform parliament as soon as we have taken a decision on that.”
In an advertisement about two months ago, the government said the jet was “designed for exotic and luxurious use” and has “attractive exterior and interior layout and design.” The list price of an Airbus ACJ319 is $87 million, including a VIP cabin, according to David Velupillai, a marketing director for Airbus. Negotiations are common in plane purchases.
Court Rules
The plane’s registered owner is CJ Leasing (Cayman) Ltd. and was sub-leased to Kingfisher Airlines, according to documents provided in the auction tender.The carrier, which was based in Bengaluru, ceased operations in October 2012 after five straight years of losses and mounting debt.
CJ Leasing and Mumbai International Airport Pvt. had objected to the auction of eight aircraft operated by Kingfisher, including the luxury jet, but an Indian court ruled in favor of the Commissioner of Service Tax, allowing the sale to proceed.
Lenders, fighting in courts to get their money back from Kingfisher Airlines, failed to find buyers for the carrier’s brand and trademarks when they attempted to auction off the possessed assets, the Indian Express newspaper reported May 1.
Mallya, 60, ranked the 45th-richest Indian with a net worth of $1 billion by Forbes in March 2012, has always maintained that Kingfisher was an “unfortunate commercial failure” caused by macroeconomic factors and government policies. In his flamboyant heyday, the super-yacht-owning tycoon often drew comparisons with Virgin Group Plc’s Richard Branson.
After revoking his diplomatic passport and calling him a “fugitive,” the Indian government sought his deportation from the U.K. and is seeking legal advice on his extradition. Mallya has said he didn’t flee the country and he is neither an “absconder” nor a “wilful defaulter.”