Flair Airlines claims 50 million damages from its lessors after the seizure of its planes
Exterior of a Flair Airlines Boeing 737 Max.
Flair Airlines strikes back. The airline has announced that it is suing several aircraft leasing companies after four of its planes were seized as “illegal” last week. She is asking for $50 million.
According to the documents of the complaint filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Flair Airlines accuses three rental companies of entrapment and gives its version of the facts.
The airline claims that the lessors would have found a better offer for their Boeing 737 Max, and would have proceeded to an illegal termination of their rental contract by accusing it of a non-payment.
The document details that the seizures were orchestrated in bad faith and maliciously in order to inflict the greatest possible harm on Flair, including disrupting its relationship of trust with its passengers.
The low-cost airline also claims that it was not notified in advance of the seizure, which prevented it from warning its passengers and finding alternative solutions. The three lessors would not have objected to the proposal made Friday by Flair to initiate the payment at the beginning of the week, according to it.
The three lessors, all based in Ireland, are Columba Lights Aviation Ltd., Corvus Lights Aviation Ltd., and MAM Aircraft Leasing 4.
In addition, the company claims that a company rental management company, Airborne Capital inc. misled it and that another Dublin-based company, which Flair calls ABC Corp, agreed to buy or lease the aircraft.
Flair Airlines accuses them of breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation and conspiracy.
The conflict between the airline and its lessor has been going on for several months. On Tuesday, Airborne Capital accused Flair Airlines of several late payments over the past five months, arrears that run into the millions, justifying the seizure of the planes. On Saturday, four of the carrier's planes were seized in Toronto, Waterloo and Edmonton, coinciding with spring break departures.
With information from La Presse canadienne
