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Top Flair Airlines investor says new lawsuit over plane payments ‘premature at best’

A key Flair Airlines investor says a $30-million lawsuit filed against it by plane-leasing firms over claims of missed payments is “premature at best.”

Miami-based 777 Partners, which owns one-quarter of Flair, confirmed that three lessors of aircraft that were repossessed from the budget carrier last spring filed their claim in London, U.K. in December over lease payments guaranteed by 777.

The minority owner says it may try for a stay of proceedings on the suit by Corvus Lights Aviation, MAM Aircraft Leasing 4 and Columba Lights Aviation, which leased the four jets — a Boeing 737-800 and three 737 Max 8s.

Sister company 600 Partners, which backed three of the four leases, is also named in the filing.

Edmonton-based Flair, while not included in the lawsuit, launched one of its own for $50 million against the three leasing firms as well as Airborne Capital, which manages their planes, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice last year.

Flair spokeswoman Gabrielle Poirier says payment demands from Airborne are “baseless” given that the carrier is no longer leasing the jetliners.

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