Jet Airways' US flights in doubt over 'Al Qaeda link'

Jet Airways finds itself at the centre of another controversy with an American aviation company trying to scuttle Jet's plans to start services to the US from June 23 by accusing it of having terrorist links, which the US Transportation Department is looking into.

Maryland-based Jet Airways, Inc, which is yet to commence airline operations, has filed a petition with the US Transport Department that if the Indian carrier is allowed to operate in the US "then we will once again have the Al Qaeda flying and controlling aircraft over American cities".

".... and this time the officials who issue these permits will be held accountable for knowingly giving these aircraft the entry," the complaint said.

"The American company has alleged that "since Jet Airways (India) Ltd was planned and started in 1991, it has been funded by Al Qaeda 'Specifically Designated Global Terrorist' Dawood Ibrahim, and no matter how wonderful the service and the airline may be in India, it is still an enterprise which is used to launder money for Al Qaeda and it is still an Al Qaeda airline".

Asked about the US firm's petition, Bill Mosley, spokesman for the US Transportation Department, told PTI that "the objection is under review". A newspaper report, however, said that the Jet Airways' Washington-based counsel had written to the transportation department stating that the allegations were "unsupported", "offensive" and "groundless."

Jet Airways' India spokesman said their lawyers were drafting a statement in this regard.

The largest Indian private airliner has scheduled inauguration of its operations to the US with a flight from Mumbai to Newark via Brussels on June 23.

In the petition filed by Nancy M Heckerman, president and CEO of the American company, also objected to the use of its registered trademark 'Jet Airways' by the Indian company and demanded that it desisted from use of this name immediately.

Meanwhile, the Indian carrier has got a boost when the Port Authority of Newark and New Jersey wrote to the US Transport Department supporting its entry.

In its letter late last month, the Authority said it supported Jet Airways India for a foreign air carrier permit and also for an exemption to introduce new air services under the India-US open skies agreement.

It also endorsed the selection of Newark Airport as the Indian carrier's first trans-Atlantic destination.

The Indian carrier has also engaged the services of two legal firms to fight their case before the US Transport Department.