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NCLAT gives a go signal to the Go Airlines insolvency application

– Neha Malu, Senior Executive & Tanay Dubey, Legal Intern | resolution@vinodkothari.com

Background

In India, airline companies prefer acquiring aircrafts through lease rather than buying them. According to a report released by PwC, as of 2018, around 80% of India’s commercial aircrafts are leased, much more than the global average of leased commercial aircrafts as compared to commercial aircrafts in use, 53%. According to the report, airlines prefer leasing aircrafts predominantly due to two reasons: first, the lower overall cost of leasing which allows the airlines company to spend available capital on giving price advantage to the price sensitive customers in India and; second, because of the shorter fleet replacement cycles, leasing aircrafts provides airlines an option to quickly increase or decrease the capacity, thereby keeping the fleet younger.

Go Airlines, an ultra-low-cost airline, possesses a fleet of 54 aircraft, with the majority obtained through leasing arrangements with different aircraft lessor companies. Unfortunately, the airline is currently facing financial difficulties caused by the non-delivery of engines from Pratt and Whitney (P&W), a US-based jet engine manufacturer. As a result, they have been compelled to ground over 50 planes. Due to concerns about the feasibility of the CIRP and the airline’s revival, the lessors want to recover their aircrafts from the airline.

Go Airlines (‘Corporate Applicant’) has been defaulting towards the aircrafts lessors, vendors, and financial creditors from 2022 onwards. In order to keep the company as a going concern and retain the possession of leased aircrafts, the Corporate Applicant filed an application under Section 10 of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (‘IBC’). The umbrella of moratorium was opened for Go Airlines after its voluntary application for resolution under section 10 of IBC was admitted by the NCLT leading to a complete prohibition on transfer of any of the leased aircrafts which were in possession of Go Airlines as on the date of admission of the CIRP application. In the present case, though the lessors of the aircrafts had terminated the lease agreement days before the admission of the CIRP application by NCLT, the possession remained to be transferred to the lessor as on the date of admission.

An appeal was preferred by the lessors against the order of the NCLT contending that the said application was filed with fraudulent and malicious intent. Further, the lessors were not given the notice providing for an opportunity of hearing before admitting the application. In addition to this, given the fact that the lease agreement was cancelled by the lessor prior to the admission of CIRP application, the Corporate Applicant has no legal right to claim possession and moratorium under Section 14(1)(d) of IBC on the assets of the lessor.  

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An Insolvency Resolution Process sans Claims – A Defunct Process?

Introduction

Under the provisions of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC), the determining criteria for insolvency is a definite default, rather than financial sickness or ‘inability to pay’ . While the latter is certainly suggestive of a larger state of insolvency, where the company may be unable to pay its outstanding debts, the former does not necessitate  the same. Hence, the likelihood of an application for initiation of CIRP on the basis  of an isolated event of default/ non-payment, sans a financial stress in the company, cannot be ruled out.

Owing to such uncertainty, it may so happen that an application, initiated on the basis of such an isolated event of default, is admitted before the adjudicating authority without any other cases of defaults by the company. Naturally, there would be no claims to file except that of the applicant. If it were to happen, it forces one to ponder as to how CIRP will proceed, and if at all there is something to resolve.

CIRP without claims?

As per the Code, CIRP commences after an application has been admitted by the AA. Once an application is admitted by the AA, an Interim Resolution Professional is appointed, who is responsible for invitation and collation of claims, and subsequent constitution of the committee of creditors (‘CoC’). All decisions with respect to the corporate debtor’s business are thereafter taken with the approval of CoC, including approval of Resolution Plan or passing of a resolution for liquidation of the Corporate Debtor.  Hence, it can be said that the CoC, constituted on the basis of the claims, drives the CD through the process till revival/ liquidation, as the case may be.

However, in a rather odd situation, when no claims are received after the initiation of CIRP, how will the IRP constitute CoC? In essence, when no claims are received by the Interim Resolution Professional (‘IRP’) after the initiation of CIRP, the questions that would arise are (aside, the broader question as to whether there was at all a need for resolution, will remain) – how is the CIRP likely to proceed, how will IRP constitute CoC, and most importantly, what is it for which the IRP should invite resolution plans? Does non-receipt of any claims by the creditors prove that the Corporate Debtor is, in fact, not a defaulter?

Books of the corporate debtor/public announcement

At the first instance, the books of the corporate debtor will assist in determining whether at all the CD has liabilities (financial/operational, otherwise). It may be the case that the CD does not have any liability at all (besides that pertaining to the creditor who filed the application). In such a case, attempts can be made by the CD and the Creditor to arrive at an agreement among themselves, instead of proceeding with CIRP and having the CD jammed in a situation of Moratorium.

However, there may be cases where the books acknowledge liabilities but there are no claimants. This might pose practical difficulties for the IRP because if no claims are received, the constitution of CoC would become impossible which in turn would lead to the CIRP coming to a complete halt. Occurrence of such a situation might necessitate the following actions to be taken by the IRP-

  • sending of individual mails, requesting claims, to the Financial creditors so that, at least, a CoC can be constituted.
  • ensure that the public announcement, inviting claims of creditors, are made in accordance with the manner laid down in the CIRP Regulations and in newspapers with wide reach.
  • if, in case, no claims are received despite of efforts being made by the IRP, a final attempt should be made by the IRP by way of re-issuance of public announcement

Say, even after these efforts, no one shows up. There is a stage set, but there are no creditors to run the show. In such cases, what can the IRP do? We can explore the following alternatives.

Section 12A of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016

Prior to section 12A of the Code, the withdrawal of an admitted insolvency resolution process was not expressly provided for. However, in view of reasons like a post-admission settlement or restructuring, the need to allow such withdrawal was realised – Section 12A of the Code enables withdrawal of the applications filed under Section 7, 9 or 10 of IBC, post its admission, if the committee of creditors (CoC) approves of such withdrawal by a voting share of at least ninety percent.

The very fact that section 12A mandates the approval of CoC as a precondition for withdrawal, there is no occasion to apply the said provisions before the constitution of CoC. A deeper reading of section 12A further indicates that the application for withdrawal must be filed by the very applicant who initiated the process. The reason is simple, the cause initiated by one cannot be withdrawn merely by virtue of a majority of others. Thus, the fact that withdrawal can be done only at the behest of the original applicant and with the consent of at least 90% CoC members maintains the much required trade off.

However, in the given state of affairs, the devil lies in the fact that no claims have been received so as to constitute the CoC. Further, to assume that the applicant who, at the first place, initiated the application, and thereafter chose to remain missing in action would initiate the withdrawal process, seems rather bizarre.

Even if one were to assume the possibility of withdrawal application by such a creditor, would the very filing be construed as a mere pressure tactic for recovery of claims?  If yes, the same would attract penal provisions under the Code, and as such the Applicant would be liable for the consequences.

Knocking the Doors of NCLT

From the above discussion, we understand that a situation as such would indeed put the IRP/ RP in a pickle. Another probable way out could be an application being filed by the IRP/ RP under section 60 (5) of the Code thereby praying for annulling the process or directing the original applicant to file an application under section 12A.

Further, in Swiss Ribbons (P) Ltd. v. Union of India (Supra)[1],  the Hon’ble Supreme Court made it clear that “at any stage where the committee of creditors is not yet constituted, a party can approach the NCLT directly, which Tribunal may, in exercise of its inherent powers under Rule 11 of the NCLT Rules, 2016, allow or disallow an application for withdrawal or settlement…….”

Thus, on the strength of the aforesaid order and the power and jurisdiction in section 60 (5), the IRP/ RP may take necessary steps before the Hon’ble Bench.

Such entanglement would leave the IPR/ RP in the middle of the sea, so to say that he can neither continue the CIRP in absence of the CoC, nor proceed for withdrawal as per section 12A.

Corporate Debtor – a Defaulter or no

Another line of thought that arises in the given facts  could be whether the Corporate Debtor can be construed as a ‘defaulter’. In the given case, since no claims are received after the initiation of CIRP, can it be assumed that the Corporate Debtor has not defaulted in the payment of dues of any other creditor except for that of the applicant. Based on this assumption, can it be said that the CD is not a defaulter?

The above straight jacket assumption would not hold good as it is important to note that another probable situation that could arise is that the default of other creditors is apparent from the books of accounts of the Corporate Debtor. In such cases, if no claims are received by the IRP, the IRP may, in furtherance to the mandatory public announcement, send a mail to the banks/ financial creditors, inviting claims from them so that at least the CoC can be constituted and the CIRP can proceed.

While the above situation is a rather odd one, it would indeed be an interesting situation to understand the possible course of action that the IPs could resort to, and the role of the Adjudicating Authorities in such cases.

[1] Swiss Ribbons (P) Ltd. v. Union of India (Supra)

Dissolution without Resolution- A disguised Strike-off under IBC?

Megha Mittal

(resolution@vinodkothari.com)

In a first of its kind, the Hon’ble National Company Law Tribunal, Bengaluru Bench vide its order dated 16th November, 2020, in the matter of Synew Steel Private Limited[1], has ordered for direct dissolution from CIRP, thereby waiving off the mandatory requirement to undergo the liquidation process.

The said order was inspired by the fact that the corporate debtor had nil assets, which in turn made it certain that the liquidation process would not have been successful. Hence, to save the unfruitful costs that would have been incurred, the corporate debtor was allowed a direct dissolution.

In this article, the author makes a humble attempt to analyse this rather path-breaking order, and the implications it may carry.

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ARCs and Insolvency Resolution Plans – The Enigma of Equity vs Debt

– By Sikha Bansal (resolution@vinodkothari.com)

This article has also been published in IndiaCorpLaw Blog, the same can be viewed here

A regulatory framework for asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) was introduced in India through the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (SARFAESI Act). This intended to put in place a system for clearing up non-performing assets (NPAs) from the books of banks and financial institutions. Over a decade later, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) was introduced with the objective of reorganisation and resolution of insolvent entities.

Although the common goal of both these legislation seems to be the cleaning or reconstruction of bad loan portfolios, it is important to understand the difference between the basic premises of these two laws: while the SARFAESI Act deals with ‘recovery’ and is more of a ‘class’ remedy, the IBC is about ‘resolution’ and intended to constitute a collective process. Given a common set of stakeholders involved under both these laws, there remains an obvious possibility of overlaps or inconsistencies. Read more

Ablution by Resolution

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019 seeks to wash out liability of corporate debtors resolved under IBC

-Sikha Bansal (resolution@vinodkothari.com)

 

Resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (‘Code’) is a harbinger of fresh start of the corporate debtor, which passes into the control of a new management by the very application of section 29A. The fresh start would have no meaning if the corporate debtor or the new management thereof have to bear the brunt of offences which the corporate debtor or its officers committed prior to ablution under the Code – that is, one cannot be made to reap what they did not sow. As such, it was important to provide immunity to the corporate debtor and its assets, the successful resolution applicant and the new management personnel.

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