Some of luxury jet operator Zetta Jet’s 40 employees in Singapore let go by after its sudden closure say they are still owed expenses and paid leave.
The company was incorporated here in 2015 and had offices in the US.
It was ordered by a US court to stop operating on 30 November last year despite an attempt to rescue it financially and keep operations going.
Zetta Jet ran into trouble when its US and Singapore-based shareholders were embroiled in a legal tussle after the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in mid-September last year.
Singapore-based staff of Zetta Jet, who included pilots and cabin crew and those in finance, sales and operations, had followed the unfolding events closely.
"There were also issues with Zetta Jet (corporate) credit cards in the final months. So, many of the crew used their personal (credit) cards to keep things working," an employee told The Straits Times.
It includes paying for
Uber rides with their personal cards instead of the corporate cards.
In mid-November, staff in the US and Singapore received a letter via e-mail from Zetta Jet's US shareholders, James Seagrim and Matthew Walter.
They said that they were shocked and disappointed by a US Court's refusal to sanction an investment proposal by Scout Aviation, which had agreed to pump in up to USD8.5 million ($11.2 million) in financing.
Signed by both US shareholders, the email stated that both Seagrim and Walter had no idea why the financing package was not approved.
"Unfortunately, due to the company's limited liquidity, we will only be able to pay salary through 30 November 2017," the letter said.
Prior to the bankruptcy filing, Zetta Jet had accused its former managing director, Geoffery Cassidy, of fraud.
The company lodged a lawsuit in the US against Australia-born Cassidy, alleging that it was forced to restructure its debts because he had misappropriated funds from the company, among other claims.
Cassidy, who was removed as director in August last year, denied the allegations.
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