Jet Air to file suit against US firm

US company alleges that airline is funded by al qaeda

Jet Airways has instructed its American lawyers to take legal action against the president and chief operating officer of US-based Jet Airways Inc for its "outrageous" allegation that the Indian private airliner had terrorist links.

Denying all allegations, Jet Airways in a statement today said the American company was attempting to "besmirch" its reputation which had amounted to outright harassment.

"We have taken a serious view of these allegations", Jet Airways said in a statement adding, that it has filed for a detailed reply to the objection along with application for operations permit and exemption order which is being processed by the US department of transport.

"Investigations show that Jet Airways Inc is just a shell company with no business activity much less airline business", the statement said.

The allegations that India's premier domestic airline has links to "undesirables" and that the Indian carrier has been directly financed since 1991 by some other undesirables was "outrageous," it said.

The primary motivation of Jet Airways Inc in filing the objection arises out of a trade name claim made by them that is currently being addressed before the US Patent and Trademark Office, the statement said.

The private Indian airliner is scheduled to launch its operations to the US with a flight from Mumbai to Newark via Brussels on June 23. 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".

The American company has alleged that "since Jet Airways (India) Ltd was planned and started in 1991, it has been funded by al Qaeda's specifically designated global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and it is an enterprise which is used to launder money for the al Qaeda.

"As such there are strong grounds for the cancellation of prior registration by Jet Airways Inc by the US Patent and Trademark Office. We are advised that under the US law, such no-use of the name does not entitle Jet Airways Inc to any rights of protection," it said.

Jet Airways Inc is thus "attempting to block the Indian carrier's application only because of its bogus claims to our name. Whilst the objection preponderantly is based on the bogus claim to the trade name, it has also made scandalous, scurrilous and baseless allegations regarding alleged links of Jet Airways (India) Ltd with undesirables," it added.

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".

The American company has alleged that "since Jet Airways (India) Ltd was planned and started in 1991, it has been funded by al Qaeda's 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".

Going legal

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• Denying all allegations, Jet Airways said the American company was attempting to "besmirch" its reputation
• The primary motive of Jet Airways Inc in filing the objection arises out of a trade name claim made by them that is currently being addressed before the US patent office