Mallya's ACJ319 Up for Auction To Cover Tax Liens

A court in Mumbai, India, has ordered that an impounded Airbus ACJ319 owned by former Kingfisher Airlines founder Vijay Mallya must be sold before March 1. The jet was seized three years ago by India’s tax authority after Kingfisher failed to remit $28 million in service taxes collected from passengers. The ACJ, manufactured in 2006, is on a finance lease from CJ Leasing of the Cayman Islands.

According to a source close to the company, the auction is likely to take place within the next few weeks. TheACJ, registered as VT-VJM (Mallya’s initials), is parked at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and might have suffered some corrosion, as Mumbai is fairly humid since it’s located on the coast. A maintenance technician told AIN that airframe patches near the wing root and APU area suggest that the airplane might also have been cannibalized.

The interior, which cost $25 million and is configured for 22 passengers, is in good condition with “no fungus or fading of upholstery,” the maintenance technician added.