VistaJet Moves To Reclaim Two Bombardier Jets Leased To Anil Ambani’s RTTL; Reliance Subsidiary To Be Left With Only Two Aircraft

Mumbai: Malta-based luxury charter operator and lessor VistaJet has moved to terminate its leasing arrangement with Anil Ambani’s Reliance Transport & Travel Pvt. Ltd (RTTL). While the lessor has requested the Indian aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to de-register two of its Bombardier jets operated by RTTL, the latter stated that they have not defaulted on any payments against the lease.

IDERA filed for VT-JSK and VT-VIV

VistaJet filed an irrevocable de-registration and export request authorisation (IDERA) for two Bombardier Global 5000 aircraft, registered in India as VT-JSK and VT-VIV, last week. The move is a formal push to repatriate the long-range business jets, based in Nanded and operated by the Reliance Group subsidiary.

​The IDERA is a powerful legal tool under the international treaty of Cape Town Convention, which protects the rights of aircraft lessors and financiers. The treaty mandates that once an IDERA is invoked, the host country’s aviation regulator – in this case, the DGCA – is mandated to de-register the aircraft and facilitate its export.

DGCA in final approval stage

According to sources, the Indian regulator is in the final stages of approving the request. The DGCA has already dispatched communications on Friday to various stakeholders, including airport operators and fuel suppliers, to verify if there are any outstanding dues against the two airframes before they are cleared for departure.

The filing of an IDERA request often suggests financial friction, following a payment default or a significant violation of the lease’s contractual terms but the reason could not be confirmed in this case. While VistaJet did not respond to The Free Press Journal's e-mail, the Reliance Group framed the exit as the lessor's strategic shift.

'Never defaulted on any payment'

​A senior official from the Reliance Group told The Free Press Journal that the company has not been defaulted by VistaJet. "RTTL has never defaulted on any payment to VistaJet and we have also received a no-dues pending certificate from VistaJet." The official claimed that the de-registration request was filed because of VistaJet's change in business plans.

The Anil Ambani-run Reliance Group and its subsidiaries have reportedly suffered massive losses and are facing intense scrutiny from law enforcement agencies over alleged frauds with multiple banks. During its peak, RTTL managed a significant fleet of heavy jets, which eventually came down to only four aircraft. Back in 2018, Ambani had sent one of the aircrafts from his fleet to Dubai to bring back Sridevi's body to Mumbai.

Once the DGCA exports the two 13-seater Bombardier jets to Malta, the company will be left with only two 10-seater Dassault Falcon 2000 and Embraer Legacy 650 business jets to continue its operations.

Simultaneously, aviation experts alleged DGCA of poor documentation work, highlighting that the de-registration request was future-dated by the aviation regulator. Both the announcement letters showed the date of receiving the de-registration request as May 2026.