MUMBAI — The boss of India’s troubled Kingfisher airline has sought to allay fears about jobs in a rare communication to staff, which outlines plans to restart limited operations and win a foreign investment deal.



Kingfisher, whose operations have been grounded since October, lost permission to fly after a deadline to renew its suspended licence with the aviation regulator expired at the start of the new year.



Vijay Mallya’s email, sent late Wednesday, expressed hopes for a limited re-start of flights from March this year, requiring funding of 6.5 billion rupees ($118 million) which would be provided by the airline’s parent UB Group.



The airline has submitted a detailed restart plan to the regulator, he said, also reiterating that there were “discussions with multiple investors”, including Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, to sell a stake in the airline.



“We remain confident that we will secure a deal,” he wrote in the email seen by AFP. — AFP