But a DGCA official says “The license will not be revived until it [Kingfisher] submits a concrete and reliable revival plan.”

“The airline has not addressed any of the issues raised by the DGCA,” the official says.

The regulator, however, did not cancel the license, giving the airline an opportunity to submit a recovery plan for revoking the suspension. Soon after the suspension of its license, Kingfisher stopped booking of tickets. “We are now immediately suspending all forward bookings till such time we resume operations,” an airline official says. “It is our endeavor to restart operations at the earliest.”

Experts say the airline’s exit from the Indian skies will likely facilitate rivals to further prop up fares, especially with increasing demand for seats.

A320-200 photo: Kingfisher