Jet Airways to buy SpiceJet's bombardier fleet? Advert launches speculation

Jet Airways has unleashed a barrage of speculation on if it will buy the troubled SpiceJet’s fleet after advertising for pilots with experience in flying Bombardier Q400, a type of turboprop which features prominently in the latter’s fleet.  According to a   Mumbai Mirror report, the Jet Airways advertisement said: Jet Airways is looking to hire pilots familiar with a type of aircraft that only SpiceJet owns and operates in the country. Jet might consider taking advantage of SpiceJet’s current position in the industry. Its stock is trading flat and the aviation ministry has extended the deadline to make payments to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) by another ten days to 10 January.  It has previously forced to briefly ground its fleet last year after their planes were not refueled by suppliers. The recruitment ad does not mention the number of positions Jet Airways is looking to fill. But it clearly states that the carrier wants chief pilots with at least 1,000 hours of experience in flying the Q400. The candidates’ should have a minimal average of 3000 flying miles. In an interview with CNBC TV18, Sanjiv Kapoor, COO, SpiceJet, said that the company will remain at the reduced schedule which is about 230 flights a day down from over 340 flights. The only Indian airline that owns and operates Bombardier Q400s is SpiceJet and it has 15 such planes.