Crisis continued to deepen at cash-starved Jet Airways on Tuesday as the airline flew just five planes and the management made desperate attempts to garner emergency funds worth Rs 400 crore to stay afloat even as the lenders remained undecided on extending the lifeline.

While the meeting of the ailing airline’s board in Mumbai that went on for over three hours remained inconclusive, officials at the lenders and the government maintained that efforts are on to revive the carrier.

However, the carrier’s pilots union NAG on Tuesday threatened to seek resolution under insolvency law as salaries dues remained unpaid. With uncertainty mounting over the future course for the airline, which has been in operation for more than 25 years, its shares crashed nearly 19 per cent during the day amid reports that the carrier might temporarily suspend operations.

Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola said the airline has sought emergency funds worth around Rs 400 crore from banks and that the matter is between the carrier and the lenders. Briefing reporters in New Delhi, he said Jet Airways was operating only five planes.

Government officials said lenders are discussing ways to revive the crisis-hit carrier and fresh funds are likely to be infused shortly. “Discussions for reviving the airline are underway and nothing has been finalised as of now,” Punjab National Bank Managing Director and CEO Sunil Mehta told reporters in New Delhi.

Representatives of various lenders to Jet Airways are also understood to have discussed issues related to Jet Airways with Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar.Jet Airways has a debt burden of more than Rs 8,000 crore. Jet Airways said it is awaiting “emergency liquidity support” from the SBI-led consortium of lenders to arrest further deterioration in its services.

In the morning, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu called for a review of issues related to Jet Airways, including rise in airfares. The civil aviation ministry, in a late evening tweet, said that as instructed by the minister, a review meeting was held under the chairmanship of the secretary. “Airlines agreed to use lower price buckets for selling tickets in order to keep fares within reasonable limits,” it said.

NAG’s Vice President Aseem Vlianini said the union might approach the National Company Law Tribunal for a resolution. Entities seeking

resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) should have to first get the go-ahead from the tribunal.