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Jet Airways set for legal battle against Jet Inc of US
Jet Airways of India enters legal battle with US-bsed Jet Inc over its complaint of a 'Al Qaeda' connection.
BY OUR AVIATION BUREAU
12 June, 2005: The Jet vs Jet tussle over the Indian airliner’s proposed foray into the US skies is entering legal turf. India’s largest airliner has engaged an American law firm to sue its US namesake for alleging it had AL Qaeda and Dawood links, there by putting up a hurdle to its US plans.
Media reports said law firm Paul Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Gasrrison would initiate legal proceedings on behalf of the India’s largest private airliner. Jet Airways India said in a statement released to the media that Martin London, the law firm’s partner, would lead a battery of lawyers for the purpose.
The Maryland based US Jet, which does not have an airline as of now, had filed a complaint with US authorities charging Jet Airways with alleged Al Qaeda and Dawood links and praying not to allow it to fly in US skies, citing security reasons. CEO of the firm Nancy Heckerman had filed the complaint on behalf of the US Jet.
The Indian Jet strongly denied the charges. It says the primary motive of the complaint is the trade name and that the issue is currently being looked into by the US Patent and Trademark office. Jet Airways had planned to start its operations from June 23, but it now seems certain that this has to be deferred, in view of the serious nature of charges against it. Post 9/11, US authorities had been oversensitive even handling passengers and hence any allegations like these is bound to create considerable pressure on the authorities to undergo a thorough review.
Meanwhile, the US-based Jet has reportedly filed another affidavit with the US Department of Transportation, along with a CD to back its charges against its Indian namesake.
The US Transport Department had asked Indian Jet to furnish additional documents following the complaint. The airline has already submitted it.
In another setback to the Indian Jet, a Indo-American nuke scientist had also written to the US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta not to allow the Indian airliner to operate, citing what he called its “jihadi connection’. The scientist, Moorthy Muthuswamy , is also a top aide of the Indian American Intellectual Forum, a New York-based think tank.
Jet India hopes that the clean chit given to it by the Port authority of Newark and New Jersey would be a boost in its battle for a space in the US skies. Jet India currently has a fleet of 42 air craft. In order to fund its ambitious expansion plans, Jet India had come out with a mega Initial Public Offer earlier this year.
The Jet Air ways scrip has been included in the BSE-200 index, with effect from june 6..
Jet Airways profit soared 60 per cent for the quarter ended March 31, despite a steep rise in aviation fuel prices. Jet Airways has a 43 per cent share in the Indian market.
BY OUR AVIATION BUREAU
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