Avolon applied to the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to de-register two B737-800s currently dry-leased to Jet Airways (JAI, Mumbai International), becoming the first lessor to actively seek to repossess jets from the debt-ridden carrier, Reuters has reported.

While a large number of Jet Airways' leased aircraft are currently grounded due to the non-payment of leases, no lessor has so far acted to de-register its aircraft.

According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Avolon owns three B737-800s leased to Jet Airways: VT-JFW (msn 42799), VT-JGP (msn 34798), and VT-JGQ (msn 34797). It also manages two more -800s, one each owned by Jade Aviation and Park Aerospace Holdings. All five units are currently stored.

Avolon does not lease any other types to Jet Airways.

Jet Airways is currently operating less than thirty of its 101 aircraft on a daily basis. A spokesperson confirmed that on April 3, only twenty-eight aircraft were active. The day after, Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola said the number was even lower and only twenty-six aircraft operated daily.

Kharola also pointed out that if the carrier's fleet drops below twenty active aircraft, it could lose its international traffic rights.

Most of the groundings are related to the carrier's debts. According to the ch-aviation fleets module, five out of seven aircraft operated by subsidiary JetLite (Delhi International) are also grounded.

The carrier's problems persist despite the fact that it has already received the INR15 billion rupee (USD217 million) rescue capital injection from its creditors. The banks, which took a 50.1% stake in Jet Airways on an interim basis, are now seeking a permanent external investor for the embattled airline.