MUMBAI, June 7: Jet Airways Ltd’s plans to fly to the United States have run into hurdles after a US company accused the Indian firm of having links with Al Qaeda, officials at the Indian airline said on Monday. Jet said it was contemplating legal action against Jet Airways Inc., a Maryland-based company, for claiming the Indian company had links with the militant network through a Dubai-based, India-born underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim.
“We are consulting our lawyers in the US and in India to find out what legal actions need to be taken. The allegations are baseless and an attempt to besmirch the reputation of a renowned airline,” Saroj Datta, Jet’s executive director, told a news conference.
Jet Airways Inc. had alleged in a filing with the US Department of Transportation that allowing the Indian carrier to fly over US skies would constitute a national security threat, Datta said.
“We have filed our replies to the charges and are waiting to hear from DOT further,” he said.
A transportation department spokesman in Washington said the filings were being reviewed. “We cannot comment on the substance of a pending application.” he said.
Efforts to reach Jet Airways Inc. for comment were not immediately successful. A woman answering the phone said no one was in the office and invited a reporter to leave a voice mail.
Jet Airways Inc. made its security-risk allegations in a May 23 filing with the US transportation agency objecting to the Indian airline’s plans.
Jet Airways Ltd., India’s biggest domestic air carrier, filed its reply on May 27, saying the security allegations were “sensational, unsupported, and offensive.”
Jet Airways Ltd. was planning to launch its flight between Mumbay and Newark, New Jersey, on June 23. Datta said the launch could be delayed for a “few days” as it had yet to get all the necessary approvals.
Peter Luethi, Jet Airways Ltd.’s chief operating officer, said the carrier could still start the US service on schedule if US authorities granted it necessary clearances.—Reuters
