Air India to resume Mumbai-Aurangabad flights from September 15
AURANGABAD: Flag carrier Air India is set to resume its services to Mumbai from here with three flights per week, starting September 15, an official has said. The flights between the two cities were suspended in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The airline’s operations from Aurangabad airport to New Delhi and Hyderabad have already […]
Air India to operate direct Kolkata-London flight from September 16
NEW DELHI: With regular international flights stalled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Air India is set to operate direct flights between Kolkata and London, primarily for the purpose of repatriation, under the Centre’s Vande Bharat mission, a spokesperson for the airline said. The flights between NSC Bose International Airport here and Heathrow in London will […]
Government signals thaw with assurance to review Air India pilots pay cut
NEW DELHI: Signalling a thaw in the interface between Air India pilots and the government, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri has given an assurance to the pilots that he will review the disproportionate pay cut as well as examine payment of pending 25 per cent arrears. Air India pilots have been protesting against what they […]
Air India begins direct London flights to Kochi
NEW DELHI: A long-cherished demand of the Kerala diaspora and the business community here turned into a reality when an Air India non-stop flight from London landed here on Friday. The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) welcomed the AI 1186 aircraft with a water salute. As part of promoting direct connectivity to Europe, CIAL has […]
Tata group may take Air India’s control by January 1 if it is sole eligible bidder
NEW DELHI: The buzz in aviation circles is getting louder that the Tata group could be in the Air India’s cockpit as early as the New Year, if it is the sole eligible bidder for India’s national carrier. If the Tata bid is put in on or before the final submission date of August 31 […]
If ‘Rotten T’ gets Air India, I will file criminal complaint: Subramanian Swamy
NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Friday sounded a warning that if ‘Rotten T’ gets Air India, he will file a criminal complaint against government bigwigs. “If ‘Rotten T’ gets Air India despite ED investigation on money laundering by Tatas for Air Asia, payment in Dubai to a terrorist, FIPB fraud in getting […]
Air India extends contentious LWP scheme’s deadline to September-end
NEW DELHI: In a circular issued on Thurday, Air India said that the scheme was introduced on July 14 and it “has now been decide to extend the last date of applying under the scheme till September 30, 2020”. The scheme was circulated on July 14 and the pilots have been protesting that it “confers […]
Air India LWP scheme: Cost-cutting has to be done
NEW DELHI: Equity infusion of Rs 500-600 crore every year is not sustainable and cost-cutting in Air India is necessary, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday, justifying the national carrier’s decision to send certain employees on leave without pay for up to five years. The minister’s remarks came after TMC MP Derek […]
Air India likely to get 2 custom-made B777 planes for VVIP travel by September
NEW DELHI: Two custom-made B777 aircraft, which will be used to fly Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top Indian dignitaries, are likely to be delivered by Boeing to Air India by September, senior officials said on Monday. In October last year, government officials had said that the delivery of these two planes, which are […]
Covid-19 impact: Air India suspends contract of around 200 employees
NEW DELHI: Air India on Thursday temporarily suspended the contracts of around 200 employees including pilots, who were re-employed after retirement, as all domestic and international commercial passenger flights have been suspended in the country till April 14 to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior official said. “Since almost all the planes have been grounded […]
DPIIT notifies decision to permit NRIs to own up to 100% stake in Air India
NEW DELHI: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has notified a decision of the union cabinet to allow non-resident Indians (NRIs) to control up to 100 per cent stake in disinvestment-bound Air India. The FDI policy earlier permitted NRIs to take only 49 per cent stake in the airline. In its […]
Time for bidders to pose queries on Air India sale extended till March 6
NEW DELHI: The government of India has extended the time till March 6 for bidders to pose additional queries regarding sale of its 100 per cent stake in Air India. The government has issued the first set of clarification on Air India disinvestment answering queries of interested bidders on the ‘confidentiality undertaking’ listed out in […]
Air India: Government invites bids to sell 100% stake in debt-laden airline
NEW DELHI: The government of India on Monday announced sale of 100 per cent stake in debt-laden Air India as it issued the preliminary bid document for the strategic disinvestment with the deadline for submitting expression of interest set as March 17. As part of the strategic disinvestment, Air India would also sell 100 per […]
“Would be bidding for Air India if I wasn’t a Minister”: Piyush Goyal
NEW DELHI: As the government of India works on divesting debt-laden Air India, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said if he was not a minister, he would be bidding for the airline. Air India has been in the red for long and the government is now in the process of finalising the contours for […]
GoM approves EoI, share purchase agreement for Air India’s privatisation
NEW DELHI: A Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday approved the Expression of Interest (EoI) as well as the share purchase agreement for Air India’s privatisation, a senior government official said. The EoI and the share purchase agreement would be issued in January itself for the bidders, he […]
Air India needs to be privatised; no expert solution to Rs 80,000 crore debt problem
NEW DELHI: The government of India has no option but to privatise Air India as it has around Rs 80,000-crore debt and needs cooperation of the employees for carrying out the privatisation process, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri is said to have told the airline unions on Thursday. At a meeting […]