Rusty jets on tarmac show India beer baron's fallen empire

New Delhi

IN an airfield in southern India, seven planes of the failed Kingfisher Airlines Ltd rust away - relics of a former billionaire's ambition and emblems of the complex regulations that hamper Indian aviation.

The decaying aircraft, damaged by floods in Chennai late last year, were part of the fleet of India's once second-largest airline. As authorities try to recover up to US$1.36 billion of debt owed by Kingfisher's founder Vijay Mallya, aviation analysts say regulatory changes in the wake of the airline's 2012 demise don't go far enough in supporting the world's fastest-growing air travel market.