Mumbai, July 5 (IBNS) Debt-burdened Kingfisher Airlines on Thursday brushed away reports stating banks have started recovery proceedings after a meeting of the consortium of bankers.   

"Following misleading and factually incorrect reports appearing in a section of the press, Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. would like to clarify that it is patently wrong and false to claim or state that banks have started recovery proceedings after a meeting of the consortium of bankers today," said Prakash Mirpuri, Vice President - Corporate Communications, Kingfisher Airlines Limited, in a statement.
 
"The meeting was scheduled as an update meeting and there was no discussion on commencement of recovery proceedings," he said.
 
"Kingfisher House has been lying vacant after the staff moved to our new offices at The Qube in Mumbai, and at that time itself, on our own accord, we approached the banks with a proposal to liquidate this unutilized asset and at today’s meeting we raised the issue of  this pending approval," said Mirpuri.
 
Earlier on Tuesday, Kingfisher Airlines said there is no strike at the airline and that all its flights are functioning normally.

"Following a series of misleading media reports, Kingfisher Airlines would like to clarify that it is operating all its flights normally as planned and that there is no strike at the airline. All flight operations are normal," said Mirpuri.

At least four Kingfisher Airlines flights from Mumbai were cancelled on Monday after a group of pilots of the cash-strapped carrier went on strike over non-payment of salaries.

The flights, that include Mumbai-Chennai, Mumbai-Mangalore and Mumbai-Khajuraho, were cancelled due to non-availability of pilots, airport officials were quoted as saying.

Around 200 pilots including captains are on strike since Sunday protesting non-payment of salary, which they said, they have not received for the past five months.

A meeting of all employees, including pilots, engineers and cabin crew, was convened in Mumbai on Monday morning to chalk out further course of action, an airline official, who did not provide any more details, said.

However, the pilots decided to extend their strike after talks with the management failed.

Kingfisher Airlines controlled by liquor baron Vijay Mallya has neither been able to pay salaries since February nor has it managed to pay its dues to oil companies and airports, media reports said.