New Delhi

Amid criticism from all quarters, beleaguered airline Kingfishers promoter Vijay Mallya got some sympathy from Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily who came out in his support saying the carrier " has to be saved". Moily, who was speaking on the sidelines of an Assocham event here, said Mallya has met him as both of them hail from Karnataka and that he should work out a strategy acceptable to the Finance Ministry.

'He has a vibrant airline.

And it has given excellent service... I wish him well," Moily added.

On giving bailout to the carrier, Moily said: " As the Corporate Affairs Minister, I want corporate bodies to build and come up and not wind up... Something has to be done. He ( Mallya) has to work out a strategy... The entrepreneur has to take proactive measures so that it is acceptable to banks and others". Struggling to stay afloat, Kingfisher Airlines was rapped on Tuesday by DGCA for not adhering to its flight schedules but the aviation regulator made it clear there were no plans to take any punitive action against it for the moment.

The airlines top brass were summoned to explain the large- scale disruption in operations. DGCA has now asked the air carrier to provide a " realistic" flight schedule that it can operate with 28 planes.