Drunk Irish woman abuses Air India crew

Air India's Chief Vigilance Officer will carry out a detailed inquiry into the incident involving Captain Arvind Kathpalia, news agency ANI reported. According to reports, the impact of Kathpalia's action on passenger's safety will also be investigated, along with the administrative and disciplinary aspects of his conduct.

Air India Captain Arvind Kathpalia was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-director-of-operations-arvind-kathpalia-sacked-177079">removed from the post of air carrier's Director of Operations</a> on Tuesday. Kathpalia's dismissal came a day after his licence was revoked by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Chief Vigilance Officer of Air India to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident of 11 Nov &amp; on administrative &amp; disciplinary aspects of the conduct of Captain Arvind Kathpalia &amp; impact of his action on passenger's safety.He has been relieved from the charge of Dir Operations
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1062346926673289216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"The privileges of his licence have been suspended for a period of three years from 11.11.2018 as per the provisions of applicable regulations," a spokesman at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.

On Sunday, Kathpalia made headlines for failing two breathalyzer tests before a flight to London from New Delhi.&nbsp;

This is the second time Arvind Kathpalia has been in trouble over alcohol tests. He was suspended for three months in 2017 for allegedly refusing to take breathalyzer tests, news agency Reuters reported.

Air India's Chief Vigilance Officer will carry out a detailed inquiry into the incident involving Captain Arvind Kathpalia, news agency ANI reported. According to reports, the impact of Kathpalia's action on passenger's safety will also be investigated, along with the administrative and disciplinary aspects of his conduct.

Air India's Chief Vigilance Officer will carry out a detailed inquiry into the incident involving Captain Arvind Kathpalia, news agency ANI reported. According to reports, the impact of Kathpalia's action on passenger's safety will also be investigated, along with the administrative and disciplinary aspects of his conduct. Air India Captain Arvind Kathpalia was removed from the post of air carrier's Director of Operations on Tuesday. Kathpalia's dismissal came a day after his licence was revoked by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday. Chief Vigilance Officer of Air India to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident of 11 Nov & on administrative & disciplinary aspects of the conduct of Captain Arvind Kathpalia & impact of his action on passenger's safety.He has been relieved from the charge of Dir Operations — ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2018 × "The privileges of his licence have been suspended for a period of three years from 11.11.2018 as per the provisions of applicable regulations," a spokesman at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. On Sunday, Kathpalia made headlines for failing two breathalyzer tests before a flight to London from New Delhi. This is the second time Arvind Kathpalia has been in trouble over alcohol tests. He was suspended for three months in 2017 for allegedly refusing to take breathalyzer tests, news agency Reuters reported.

Drunk Air India pilot case: Air India's Chief Vigilance Officer to conduct detail inquiry

Air India Captain, Arvind Kathpalia, has been removed as the Director of Operations, Air India. Kathpalia's dismissal comes <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dgca-suspends-air-india-operations-directors-pilot-license-for-3-years-176895">a day after his licence was revoked</a> by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday.&nbsp;

"The privileges of his licence have been suspended for a period of three years from 11.11.2018 as per the provisions of applicable regulations," a spokesman at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Air India's Captain Arvind Kathpalia relieved from the charge of Director Operations with immediate effect. He was suspended for 3 months after he failed the Breath Analyser (BA) Test before his flight. <a href="https://t.co/670Erh6UNG">pic.twitter.com/670Erh6UNG</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1062302735285018624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

On Sunday, Kathpalia made headlines for failing two breathalyzer tests before a flight to London from New Delhi.&nbsp;

This is the second time Arvind Kathpalia has been in trouble over alcohol tests. He was suspended for three months in 2017 for allegedly refusing to take breathalyzer tests, news agency Reuters reported.

Kathpalia, who was on the airline's board, told Reuters the DGCA directive "is a rule and so it is meant to be followed".

Between 2015-2017, 132 pilots in India failed a breathalyzer test during the mandatory pre-flight examination, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu told parliament in August.

Of these, 112 pilots were first-time offenders and their pilot licence was suspended for three months. Fifteen pilots were repeat offenders and had their license suspended for three years, Prabhu said.

 
&nbsp;

Air India Captain, Arvind Kathpalia, has been removed as the Director of Operations, Air India. Kathpalia's dismissal comes a day after his licence was revoked by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday.

Air India Captain, Arvind Kathpalia, has been removed as the Director of Operations, Air India. Kathpalia's dismissal comes a day after his licence was revoked by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday. "The privileges of his licence have been suspended for a period of three years from 11.11.2018 as per the provisions of applicable regulations," a spokesman at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. Air India's Captain Arvind Kathpalia relieved from the charge of Director Operations with immediate effect. He was suspended for 3 months after he failed the Breath Analyser (BA) Test before his flight. pic.twitter.com/670Erh6UNG — ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2018 × On Sunday, Kathpalia made headlines for failing two breathalyzer tests before a flight to London from New Delhi. This is the second time Arvind Kathpalia has been in trouble over alcohol tests. He was suspended for three months in 2017 for allegedly refusing to take breathalyzer tests, news agency Reuters reported. Kathpalia, who was on the airline's board, told Reuters the DGCA directive "is a rule and so it is meant to be followed". Between 2015-2017, 132 pilots in India failed a breathalyzer test during the mandatory pre-flight examination, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu told parliament in August. Of these, 112 pilots were first-time offenders and their pilot licence was suspended for three months. Fifteen pilots were repeat offenders and had their license suspended for three years, Prabhu said.

Drunk Air India pilot: Arvind Kathpalia removed from Director of Operations post

Air safety watchdog on Monday suspended the licence of a senior Air India pilot, who is also the carrier's director of operations, for three years, a day after he failed two breathalyzer tests before a flight to London from New Delhi.

This is the second time Arvind Kathpalia has been in trouble over alcohol tests. He was suspended for three months in 2017 for allegedly refusing to take breathalyzer tests.

"The privileges of his licence have been suspended for a period of three years from 11.11.2018 as per the provisions of applicable regulations," a spokesman at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.

Kathpalia, who sits on the airline's board, told Reuters the DGCA directive "is a rule and so it is meant to be followed".

"At present, I don't see how" to contest it, he added.

On Sunday, he had said that he would contest the results of the tests and claimed he was the victim of internal feuding within the loss-making state-owned airline.

An Air India spokesman could not be reached for comment.

India is one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets with about 20 per cent growth in the number of passengers taking domestic and international flights over the past few years.

More than 1 million flights departed from the country last fiscal year, ended March 31, according to DGCA data.

Between 2015-2017, 132 pilots in India failed a breathalyzer test during the mandatory pre-flight examination, the Minister of Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu told parliament in August.

Of these, 112 pilots were first-time offenders and their pilot licence was suspended for three months. Fifteen pilots were repeat offenders and had their license suspended for three years, Prabhu said.

The licence of one pilot, who failed the test for the third time, was cancelled while four expatriate pilots lost their foreign licence for failing the test.

In 2017, Kathpalia was suspended for three months when he had allegedly refused to take a breathalyzer test before a flight to Bengaluru from New Delhi, the DGCA said.

In August 2018, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association, a trade union representing pilots of the state-owned carrier, filed a court case against Kathpalia requesting stern action against him over the missed breathalyzer tests and other behaviour.

Kathpalia was appointed operations director in June 2017. According to the job description at the time, he is responsible for flight operations, ground operations, and flight safety and training operations.

It is unclear if those remain the job specifications. It is also unclear if he will retain his position as operations director and stay on Air India's board.

Air safety watchdog on Monday suspended the licence of a senior Air India pilot, who is also the carrier's director of operations, for three years, a day after he failed two breathalyzer tests before a flight to London from New Delhi.

Air safety watchdog on Monday suspended the licence of a senior Air India pilot, who is also the carrier's director of operations, for three years, a day after he failed two breathalyzer tests before a flight to London from New Delhi. This is the second time Arvind Kathpalia has been in trouble over alcohol tests. He was suspended for three months in 2017 for allegedly refusing to take breathalyzer tests. "The privileges of his licence have been suspended for a period of three years from 11.11.2018 as per the provisions of applicable regulations," a spokesman at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. Kathpalia, who sits on the airline's board, told Reuters the DGCA directive "is a rule and so it is meant to be followed". "At present, I don't see how" to contest it, he added. On Sunday, he had said that he would contest the results of the tests and claimed he was the victim of internal feuding within the loss-making state-owned airline. An Air India spokesman could not be reached for comment. India is one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets with about 20 per cent growth in the number of passengers taking domestic and international flights over the past few years. More than 1 million flights departed from the country last fiscal year, ended March 31, according to DGCA data. Between 2015-2017, 132 pilots in India failed a breathalyzer test during the mandatory pre-flight examination, the Minister of Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu told parliament in August. Of these, 112 pilots were first-time offenders and their pilot licence was suspended for three months. Fifteen pilots were repeat offenders and had their license suspended for three years, Prabhu said. The licence of one pilot, who failed the test for the third time, was cancelled while four expatriate pilots lost their foreign licence for failing the test. In 2017, Kathpalia was suspended for three months when he had allegedly refused to take a breathalyzer test before a flight to Bengaluru from New Delhi, the DGCA said. In August 2018, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association, a trade union representing pilots of the state-owned carrier, filed a court case against Kathpalia requesting stern action against him over the missed breathalyzer tests and other behaviour. Kathpalia was appointed operations director in June 2017. According to the job description at the time, he is responsible for flight operations, ground operations, and flight safety and training operations. It is unclear if those remain the job specifications. It is also unclear if he will retain his position as operations director and stay on Air India's board.

DGCA suspends Air India pilot's licence for 3 years

Several Air India flights from Mumbai airport have been delayed due to a sudden strike called by about 400 contractual ground staff of the airline's Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL) at Mumbai airport, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

The staff are on strike over the delay in Diwali bonus from Wednesday night. &nbsp;

Air India spokesperson said that they are assessing the situation and added that they are taking all efforts to minimise delays or disruption.&nbsp;

''Due to a sudden industrial situation at Mumbai airport by AIATSL employees, some flights have got delayed. We are assessing the situation and all efforts are being made to minimise delays or disruption,'' the AI spokesperson said.

The airline's permanent employees have been deputed to normalise the flights, he said and added that only early morning flights from Mumbai got delayed by 2 hours because of the strike call.&nbsp;

Several Air India flights from Mumbai airport have been delayed due to a sudden strike called by about 400 contractual ground staff of the airline's Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL) at Mumbai airport, news agency ANI reported.

Several Air India flights from Mumbai airport have been delayed due to a sudden strike called by about 400 contractual ground staff of the airline's Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL) at Mumbai airport, news agency ANI reported. The staff are on strike over the delay in Diwali bonus from Wednesday night. Air India spokesperson said that they are assessing the situation and added that they are taking all efforts to minimise delays or disruption. ''Due to a sudden industrial situation at Mumbai airport by AIATSL employees, some flights have got delayed. We are assessing the situation and all efforts are being made to minimise delays or disruption,'' the AI spokesperson said. The airline's permanent employees have been deputed to normalise the flights, he said and added that only early morning flights from Mumbai got delayed by 2 hours because of the strike call.

Air India ground staff on strike at Mumbai airport, several flights delayed

The number of people travelling by air should double to 8.2 billion a year by 2037, with Asia and the Pacific leading the way, sector federation IATA forecast on Wednesday (Oct 24).

Protectionist measures could nonetheless curb the surge, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) added in an update to its 20-year passenger forecast.

From the current level of 4.1 billion passengers, traffic should expand by 3.5 per cent annually, said the group that represents 290 airlines.

"Aviation is growing, and that is generating huge benefits for the world. A doubling of air passengers in the next 20 years could support 100 million jobs globally," an IATA statement quoted chief executive Alexandre de Juniac as saying.

But he also warned of "a significant negative impact on the growth and benefits of aviation if tough and restrictive protectionist measures are implemented".

More than half of the additional passengers would come from the Asia-Pacific region according to the association, with China set to surpass the United States as the biggest single market in the mid-2020s.

India was expected to take third place, followed by Indonesia and Britain.

The number of people travelling by air should double to 8.2 billion a year by 2037, with Asia and the Pacific leading the way, sector federation IATA forecast on Wednesday (Oct 24).

The number of people travelling by air should double to 8.2 billion a year by 2037, with Asia and the Pacific leading the way, sector federation IATA forecast on Wednesday (Oct 24). Protectionist measures could nonetheless curb the surge, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) added in an update to its 20-year passenger forecast. From the current level of 4.1 billion passengers, traffic should expand by 3.5 per cent annually, said the group that represents 290 airlines. "Aviation is growing, and that is generating huge benefits for the world. A doubling of air passengers in the next 20 years could support 100 million jobs globally," an IATA statement quoted chief executive Alexandre de Juniac as saying. But he also warned of "a significant negative impact on the growth and benefits of aviation if tough and restrictive protectionist measures are implemented". More than half of the additional passengers would come from the Asia-Pacific region according to the association, with China set to surpass the United States as the biggest single market in the mid-2020s. India was expected to take third place, followed by Indonesia and Britain.

India expected to become third largest aviation market by 2037: IATA

A 53-year-old air hostess suffered serious injuries after falling off an Air India aircraft which was getting ready for departure for New Delhi from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here, a source said Monday.

The incident happened on Air India flight AI 864 operating on Mumbai-Delhi route, according to the airline source.

"The woman crew member was closing the door for the pushback when she fell from the aircraft, " the source said. She has been admitted to Nanavati Hospital.

Air India spokesperson was not immediately available for comments.&nbsp;

A 53-year-old air hostess suffered serious injuries after falling off an Air India aircraft which was getting ready for departure for New Delhi from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here, a source said Monday.

A 53-year-old air hostess suffered serious injuries after falling off an Air India aircraft which was getting ready for departure for New Delhi from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here, a source said Monday. The incident happened on Air India flight AI 864 operating on Mumbai-Delhi route, according to the airline source. "The woman crew member was closing the door for the pushback when she fell from the aircraft, " the source said. She has been admitted to Nanavati Hospital. Air India spokesperson was not immediately available for comments.

Air India crew member falls off aircraft, hospitalised

A 53-year-old female flight attendant fell off a stationary Air India plane while closing its door at the Mumbai airport Monday, suffering serious injuries, airline and hospital authorities said.

The wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft was preparing to depart for New Delhi when Harsha Lobo fell on the tarmac from a height of 20 feet, apparently through a gap between the rear door and the step ladder, a senior Air India official said.

The incident occurred at around 6 am, the official said. 
Lobo suffered multiple fractures in her legs and was rushed to the Nanavati Hospital where she is being treated, the airline said.

Owing to the incident, the flight AI-864, scheduled to take off at 7 am, got delayed by about one-and-a-half hours.

"In an unfortunate incident, one of our cabin crew (member), Harsha Lobo, fell down on the tarmac from the Boeing-777 aircraft door while closing it," the airline said in a statement.

The statement said Air India is inquiring into the incident.

"Though full investigation will establish the reasons for the incident, prima facie it seems there was a gap between the aircraft gate and the step ladder, through which she slipped off 20 feet down on the tarmac," an official of the airline said.

The airline's safety department has called all the people related to the incident on Tuesday as part of its probe, the official added.

The Nanavati Hospital said a cabin crew member of the Air India flight was brought to the hospital at 7 am after she suffered "serious injuries".

"The patient is suffering from right leg compound fracture, fracture in both heels and soft tissue injury in chest, abdomen and lower spine. She also suffered a sprain in the neck (cervical spine)," it said in a statement.

The woman is under observation and is being treated by Dr Prakash M Doshi, director of orthopedics and traumatology, Nanavati Hospital's Chief Operating Officer Dr Rajendra Patankar said.

Last week, 136 passengers and crew on board an aircraft of Air India Express, which is the low-cost international arm of the national carrier, had a miraculous escape after the plane hit a wall and suffered extensive damage while taking off from Tiruchirappalli airport for Dubai.

Despite the extensive damage to the belly of the aircraft, the Boeing 737 continued flying for nearly four hours, before being recalled by the airline and made to land in Mumbai in emergency conditions.

Earlier in September, about 370 passengers on board an Air India flight AI-101 between New Delhi and New York had a narrow escape after the B 777 planes instrument landing system failed.

This happened when the aircraft was about to land at New Yorks JFK airport, forcing the crew to abort landing and do a go around.

Air India generally operates flights on its domestic routes with smaller planes such as A320s but deploys bigger planes to key destinations such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, among others to meet the increased passenger demand during festival periods such as Dussehra, Diwali and Holi.

Besides B777, it will also operate its 423-seater, double-decker Boeing 747 aircraft to Mumbai and Kolkata from New Delhi, starting Tuesday as part of this strategy.&nbsp;

A 53-year-old female flight attendant fell off a stationary Air India plane while closing its door at the Mumbai airport Monday, suffering serious injuries, airline and hospital authorities said.

A 53-year-old female flight attendant fell off a stationary Air India plane while closing its door at the Mumbai airport Monday, suffering serious injuries, airline and hospital authorities said. The wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft was preparing to depart for New Delhi when Harsha Lobo fell on the tarmac from a height of 20 feet, apparently through a gap between the rear door and the step ladder, a senior Air India official said. The incident occurred at around 6 am, the official said. Lobo suffered multiple fractures in her legs and was rushed to the Nanavati Hospital where she is being treated, the airline said. Owing to the incident, the flight AI-864, scheduled to take off at 7 am, got delayed by about one-and-a-half hours. "In an unfortunate incident, one of our cabin crew (member), Harsha Lobo, fell down on the tarmac from the Boeing-777 aircraft door while closing it," the airline said in a statement. The statement said Air India is inquiring into the incident. "Though full investigation will establish the reasons for the incident, prima facie it seems there was a gap between the aircraft gate and the step ladder, through which she slipped off 20 feet down on the tarmac," an official of the airline said. The airline's safety department has called all the people related to the incident on Tuesday as part of its probe, the official added. The Nanavati Hospital said a cabin crew member of the Air India flight was brought to the hospital at 7 am after she suffered "serious injuries". "The patient is suffering from right leg compound fracture, fracture in both heels and soft tissue injury in chest, abdomen and lower spine. She also suffered a sprain in the neck (cervical spine)," it said in a statement. The woman is under observation and is being treated by Dr Prakash M Doshi, director of orthopedics and traumatology, Nanavati Hospital's Chief Operating Officer Dr Rajendra Patankar said. Last week, 136 passengers and crew on board an aircraft of Air India Express, which is the low-cost international arm of the national carrier, had a miraculous escape after the plane hit a wall and suffered extensive damage while taking off from Tiruchirappalli airport for Dubai. Despite the extensive damage to the belly of the aircraft, the Boeing 737 continued flying for nearly four hours, before being recalled by the airline and made to land in Mumbai in emergency conditions. Earlier in September, about 370 passengers on board an Air India flight AI-101 between New Delhi and New York had a narrow escape after the B 777 planes instrument landing system failed. This happened when the aircraft was about to land at New Yorks JFK airport, forcing the crew to abort landing and do a go around. Air India generally operates flights on its domestic routes with smaller planes such as A320s but deploys bigger planes to key destinations such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, among others to meet the increased passenger demand during festival periods such as Dussehra, Diwali and Holi. Besides B777, it will also operate its 423-seater, double-decker Boeing 747 aircraft to Mumbai and Kolkata from New Delhi, starting Tuesday as part of this strategy.

Air hostess falls out of plane at Mumbai airport

An Air India Express plane hit an airport wall during take-off from Tamil Nadu's Trichy yesterday. There were 136 passengers on board.&nbsp;

The plane, which was flying to Dubai, was diverted to Mumbai where it landed safely.&nbsp;

Air India Express is a low-cost airline and a wholly-owned&nbsp;subsidiary of Air India.&nbsp;

ANI reported that the plane's underbelly suffered damage and another plane was arranged for to take the passengers onwards to Dubai.&nbsp;

The plane that hit the airport wall was&nbsp;declared fit for operations after inspection at Mumbai airport.&nbsp;

The plane's pilot and co-pilot have been taken off flying duties and an internal enquiry set up.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Trichy- Dubai Air India flight with 136 passengers on board hit the ATC compound wall at Trichy Airport yesterday and was diverted to Mumbai. The flight had got damaged under the belly, was declared fit for operations after inspection at Mumbai Airport. <a href="https://t.co/8cczII46Mp">pic.twitter.com/8cczII46Mp</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1050582092688629760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"After the incident, an internal inquiry has been set up, pilot and co-pilot derostered till the investigation is done," Air Indian Express said in a statement.

The statement added that the airline had informed the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and that "all passengers were landed safely at Mumbai airport and another aircraft from Mumbai to Dubai was arranged."&nbsp;

An Air India Express plane hit an airport wall during take-off from Tamil Nadu's Trichy yesterday. There were 136 passengers on board. The plane, which was flying to Dubai, was diverted to Mumbai where it landed safely.

An Air India Express plane hit an airport wall during take-off from Tamil Nadu's Trichy yesterday. There were 136 passengers on board. The plane, which was flying to Dubai, was diverted to Mumbai where it landed safely. Air India Express is a low-cost airline and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India. ANI reported that the plane's underbelly suffered damage and another plane was arranged for to take the passengers onwards to Dubai. The plane that hit the airport wall was declared fit for operations after inspection at Mumbai airport. The plane's pilot and co-pilot have been taken off flying duties and an internal enquiry set up. Trichy- Dubai Air India flight with 136 passengers on board hit the ATC compound wall at Trichy Airport yesterday and was diverted to Mumbai. The flight had got damaged under the belly, was declared fit for operations after inspection at Mumbai Airport. pic.twitter.com/8cczII46Mp — ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2018 × "After the incident, an internal inquiry has been set up, pilot and co-pilot derostered till the investigation is done," Air Indian Express said in a statement. The statement added that the airline had informed the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and that "all passengers were landed safely at Mumbai airport and another aircraft from Mumbai to Dubai was arranged."

Air India Express plane with 136 on board hits Trichy airport wall during take-off

Your Story: Air India Express crashes at 250 km/h into Trichy airport wall

Domestic oil marketing companies have decided to stop fuel supply to India's national carrier Air India in several cities due to pending dues.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/talks-air-india-bailout-package-advanced-stage-report-167768">Also Read: Talks on Air India bailout package at 'advanced stage'</a>

The oil companies have&nbsp;suspended supplies to Air India in eight locations including Mohali, Patna, Pune, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Vishakhapatnam, Coimbatore and Jaipur from 4 pm on Monday.

Refuelling of all domestic Air India flights from eight locations has been stopped.

The Indian oil companies have been discussing issues related to the clearing of dues worth Rs 5,000 crores with &nbsp;Air India which has been pending. Air India has so far been paying Rs 20 crore daily but has been defaulting on payments lately. The marketing companies want past dues to be cleared first, reports said.

Sources said Air India on its part has knocked on government's door for capitalisation of Rs 2,000 crore but there have been no bailout moves till now.

Domestic oil marketing companies have decided to stop fuel supply to India's national carrier Air India in several cities due to pending dues. Also Read: Talks on Air India bailout package at 'advanced stage' The oil companies have suspended supplies to Air India in eight locations including Mohali, Patna, Pune, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Vishakhapatnam, Coimbatore and Jaipur from 4 pm on Monday.

Domestic oil marketing companies have decided to stop fuel supply to India's national carrier Air India in several cities due to pending dues. Also Read: Talks on Air India bailout package at 'advanced stage' The oil companies have suspended supplies to Air India in eight locations including Mohali, Patna, Pune, Trivandrum, Lucknow, Vishakhapatnam, Coimbatore and Jaipur from 4 pm on Monday. Refuelling of all domestic Air India flights from eight locations has been stopped. The Indian oil companies have been discussing issues related to the clearing of dues worth Rs 5,000 crores with Air India which has been pending. Air India has so far been paying Rs 20 crore daily but has been defaulting on payments lately. The marketing companies want past dues to be cleared first, reports said. Sources said Air India on its part has knocked on government's door for capitalisation of Rs 2,000 crore but there have been no bailout moves till now.

Oil companies stop refueling of Air India flights as pending dues bite

Discussions on a bailout package for embattled state-run carrier Air India are at an "advanced stage", the Junior Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha said on Wednesday.

India's government has been working on a package for Air India after plans to sell a majority stake in the debt-laden airline failed this year due to a lack of interest from bidders.

"We are going through the government approval process," Sinha told reporters, without giving details.

Air India, which has survived for years with the help from taxpayers, has asked the government for 21.21 billion rupees ($292 million) in additional equity to pay the carrier's bills to vendors.

India's top civil aviation bureaucrat said in September that a $120 million capital injection for Air India was on the way, and the government is also working on a relief package for the airline industry.

Jet Airways, India's largest full-service carrier, and state-owned Air India are struggling to stem losses in the world's fastest-growing domestic aviation market, where competition is intense and fuel taxes are high.

India's airline industry is forecast to lose up to $1.9 billion this financial year due to rising costs and low fares, according to consulting firm CAPA.

The civil aviation ministry has proposed other measures to help the airline industry, including adding aviation turbine fuel to a nationwide goods and services tax, Sinha said.

Discussions on a bailout package for embattled state-run carrier Air India are at an "advanced stage", the Junior Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha said on Wednesday.

Discussions on a bailout package for embattled state-run carrier Air India are at an "advanced stage", the Junior Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha said on Wednesday. India's government has been working on a package for Air India after plans to sell a majority stake in the debt-laden airline failed this year due to a lack of interest from bidders. "We are going through the government approval process," Sinha told reporters, without giving details. Air India, which has survived for years with the help from taxpayers, has asked the government for 21.21 billion rupees ($292 million) in additional equity to pay the carrier's bills to vendors. India's top civil aviation bureaucrat said in September that a $120 million capital injection for Air India was on the way, and the government is also working on a relief package for the airline industry. Jet Airways, India's largest full-service carrier, and state-owned Air India are struggling to stem losses in the world's fastest-growing domestic aviation market, where competition is intense and fuel taxes are high. India's airline industry is forecast to lose up to $1.9 billion this financial year due to rising costs and low fares, according to consulting firm CAPA. The civil aviation ministry has proposed other measures to help the airline industry, including adding aviation turbine fuel to a nationwide goods and services tax, Sinha said.

Talks on Air India bailout package at 'advanced stage': Report 

In a bid to counter anti-India propaganda by Pakistan through its radio penetration, India on Monday launched an FM station for the border belt near Amritsar that can be heard 50 km into the Pakistani territory.

A 20kW FM transmitter of the All India Radio (AIR) located at Gharinda close to the international border near Amritsar was formally inaugurated by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla, an AIR statement said.

The transmitter, that will be used for both domestic and external broadcast, is of immense strategic importance as programmes radiated from the transmitter can be heard in a radius of 90 km, including up to 50 km inside Pakistan, it said.

Sampla, while inaugurating the transmitter, told reporters that it will help in resolving the issues of non-availability of good quality signals of AIR in Amritsar and surrounding areas, and also help in countering malicious anti-India propaganda unleashed by radio channels from across the border.

The minister expressed hope that the content of the channel would also go a long way in bridging people-to-people contact among the Punjabi speaking people of the two countries.

Chairman Prasar Bharati Surya Prakash said on the occasion that as a public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati and its two constituents All India Radio and Doordarshan, were committed to playing a catalytic role in the development of the country.

Lauding the role of AIR, the Prasar Bharati Chairman said that AIR has always been at the forefront of preserving the country's cultural heritage and integrity.

Director General AIR Fayyaz Sheheryar said the FM transmitter shall ensure stereo quality listening of radio programmes in the region.

To begin with, the transmitter will carry an assortment of programmes broadcast in Punjabi by FM Rainbow Channel of AIR Jalandhar, 'Des Punjab', and programmes in Saraiki language. Popular programmes of Urdu service of the External Services Division, AIR, will also be broadcast, the statement said.

Des Punjab programme and the programmes in Saraiki which are presently broadcast on medium wave are immensely popular in Pakistan as these are specially devised to focus on the commonality of the Punjabi culture and heritage between the two halves of Punjab, it said.

Initially the transmitter shall carry programmes for 18 hours per day from 6.00 AM to 12.00 midnight.

Amritsar and surrounding areas are inundated by radio programmes broadcast from across the border. The content broadcast from across the border is often found to be not conducive to India's national interest and needs to be countered, the statement said.

This transmitter, due to its strategic location, would provide for countering of any misleading anti-India propaganda and put India's point of view in the correct perspective, it said.&nbsp;

In a bid to counter anti-India propaganda by Pakistan through its radio penetration, India on Monday launched an FM station for the border belt near Amritsar that can be heard 50 km into the Pakistani territory.

In a bid to counter anti-India propaganda by Pakistan through its radio penetration, India on Monday launched an FM station for the border belt near Amritsar that can be heard 50 km into the Pakistani territory. A 20kW FM transmitter of the All India Radio (AIR) located at Gharinda close to the international border near Amritsar was formally inaugurated by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla, an AIR statement said. The transmitter, that will be used for both domestic and external broadcast, is of immense strategic importance as programmes radiated from the transmitter can be heard in a radius of 90 km, including up to 50 km inside Pakistan, it said. Sampla, while inaugurating the transmitter, told reporters that it will help in resolving the issues of non-availability of good quality signals of AIR in Amritsar and surrounding areas, and also help in countering malicious anti-India propaganda unleashed by radio channels from across the border. The minister expressed hope that the content of the channel would also go a long way in bridging people-to-people contact among the Punjabi speaking people of the two countries. Chairman Prasar Bharati Surya Prakash said on the occasion that as a public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati and its two constituents All India Radio and Doordarshan, were committed to playing a catalytic role in the development of the country. Lauding the role of AIR, the Prasar Bharati Chairman said that AIR has always been at the forefront of preserving the country's cultural heritage and integrity. Director General AIR Fayyaz Sheheryar said the FM transmitter shall ensure stereo quality listening of radio programmes in the region. To begin with, the transmitter will carry an assortment of programmes broadcast in Punjabi by FM Rainbow Channel of AIR Jalandhar, 'Des Punjab', and programmes in Saraiki language. Popular programmes of Urdu service of the External Services Division, AIR, will also be broadcast, the statement said. Des Punjab programme and the programmes in Saraiki which are presently broadcast on medium wave are immensely popular in Pakistan as these are specially devised to focus on the commonality of the Punjabi culture and heritage between the two halves of Punjab, it said. Initially the transmitter shall carry programmes for 18 hours per day from 6.00 AM to 12.00 midnight. Amritsar and surrounding areas are inundated by radio programmes broadcast from across the border. The content broadcast from across the border is often found to be not conducive to India's national interest and needs to be countered, the statement said. This transmitter, due to its strategic location, would provide for countering of any misleading anti-India propaganda and put India's point of view in the correct perspective, it said.

AIR launches FM station in border belt to counter Pak's anti-India propaganda

Several flight&nbsp;operations were suspended following the dust storm in Chandigarh causing the low visibility news agency ANI reported on Thursday.

ANI further reported that Air India flight bound for Chandigarh flying from Mumbai was left stranded at Delhi airport due to the sandstorm.

The meteorological department, however, has said that that the situation would improve only by Friday afternoon.

"No flight landed or took off from Chandigarh (airport) until today afternoon due to bad weather," a Chandigarh International Airport Limited official was quoted as saying by PTI.

The weather department here said that a ground-level dust storm in Rajasthan, with the wind, speeds up to 40 kmph, had led to a spike in the levels of coarse particles in the air in most parts of Haryana and Punjab, including Chandigarh, since yesterday.

Director of Chandigarh's MeT Department Surinder Paul told PTI that a western disturbance approaching the region was likely to clear the air.

"A western disturbance is approaching the region and the dusty weather should dissipate by tomorrow afternoon," Paul said.

The northern part of India including Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab is witnessing dust storms from past two days.

On Wednesday, the mercury hit 46.2 degrees Celsius in Punjab. Heatwave also prevailed in most part of the state.

The Patiala recorded the hottest day with 46.2 temperature while in Ludhiana the temperature was recorded at 43.1.

According to reports, thunderstorms and gusty winds are expected in an upcoming week.

(With inputs from PTI)

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Flight operations suspended at Chandigarh Airport due to poor visibility following dust storm.
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1007169110248120320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Air India Mumbai-Chandigarh flight stranded at Delhi airport due to sandstorm at Chandigarh.
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1007161644164661248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The meteorological department, however, has said that that the situation would improve only by Friday afternoon

Several flight operations were suspended following the dust storm in Chandigarh causing the low visibility news agency ANI reported on Thursday. ANI further reported that Air India flight bound for Chandigarh flying from Mumbai was left stranded at Delhi airport due to the sandstorm. The meteorological department, however, has said that that the situation would improve only by Friday afternoon. "No flight landed or took off from Chandigarh (airport) until today afternoon due to bad weather," a Chandigarh International Airport Limited official was quoted as saying by PTI. The weather department here said that a ground-level dust storm in Rajasthan, with the wind, speeds up to 40 kmph, had led to a spike in the levels of coarse particles in the air in most parts of Haryana and Punjab, including Chandigarh, since yesterday. Director of Chandigarh's MeT Department Surinder Paul told PTI that a western disturbance approaching the region was likely to clear the air. "A western disturbance is approaching the region and the dusty weather should dissipate by tomorrow afternoon," Paul said. The northern part of India including Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab is witnessing dust storms from past two days. On Wednesday, the mercury hit 46.2 degrees Celsius in Punjab. Heatwave also prevailed in most part of the state. The Patiala recorded the hottest day with 46.2 temperature while in Ludhiana the temperature was recorded at 43.1. According to reports, thunderstorms and gusty winds are expected in an upcoming week. (With inputs from PTI) Flight operations suspended at Chandigarh Airport due to poor visibility following dust storm. — ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2018 × Air India Mumbai-Chandigarh flight stranded at Delhi airport due to sandstorm at Chandigarh. — ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2018 ×

Several flights were suspended in Chandigarh due to low visibillity

India is open to listing ailing state carrier Air India, a government source said&nbsp;on Wednesday, after failing to attract buyers for a 76 percent stake in the company.

While the government is considering several proposals related to reviving the divestment process, it will not allow complete foreign ownership of the airline, the source said, declining to be named before a final decision is reached.

One of the proposals could involve the government retaining a share in the debt-laden carrier and selling it at a later date so it can capitalise on any financial upside that may occur from listing the airline, the source said.&nbsp;

The government may also consider reducing the debt it passes on to potential buyers and restructuring the large workforce, another senior government official told Reuters.

"We will take a decision in next few days on changing conditions before inviting fresh bids," the official said, adding that the government is committed to selling its stake in the national carrier in the current financial year but could defer it if it fails to get the right price.

The government in March finalised plans to divest a majority stake in Air India and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt, but prospective buyers stayed away, with some citing onerous terms as a reason for their lack of interest.

The lack of buyers in a booming aviation market underlines the challenges the government faces in fixing the debt-laden national carrier, and is a setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s credentials as a reformer willing to step away from running money-losing businesses.

Air India, known for its Maharaja mascot, has some of India`s most lucrative international and domestic landing and parking slots that are key for airlines.

While a buyer would have got management control and gained access to more than 2,500 international slots and over 3,700 domestic slots, it would also have been required to take on Air India`s 27,000 employees, 40 percent of whom are permanent staff.&nbsp;

The terms had also stipulated that the government would have continued to hold a 24 percent stake, with the need for the bidder to abide by conditions, not yet detailed, designed to safeguard employee interests.

The government will soon arrange a bank loan for Air India, the second official said, to meet working capital needs and buy time for a few months before inviting fresh bids.

"The heavens would not fall if the stake sale is deferred to the next fiscal year," the official said adding that ahead of national elections next year, the government could not take the risk of selling the national carrier at a low price.&nbsp;

This could cost the government politically and hurt the process of further privatisation of other state companies, he said.

Government will not allow complete foreign ownership of the airline

India is open to listing ailing state carrier Air India, a government source said on Wednesday, after failing to attract buyers for a 76 percent stake in the company. While the government is considering several proposals related to reviving the divestment process, it will not allow complete foreign ownership of the airline, the source said, declining to be named before a final decision is reached. One of the proposals could involve the government retaining a share in the debt-laden carrier and selling it at a later date so it can capitalise on any financial upside that may occur from listing the airline, the source said. The government may also consider reducing the debt it passes on to potential buyers and restructuring the large workforce, another senior government official told Reuters. "We will take a decision in next few days on changing conditions before inviting fresh bids," the official said, adding that the government is committed to selling its stake in the national carrier in the current financial year but could defer it if it fails to get the right price. The government in March finalised plans to divest a majority stake in Air India and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt, but prospective buyers stayed away, with some citing onerous terms as a reason for their lack of interest. The lack of buyers in a booming aviation market underlines the challenges the government faces in fixing the debt-laden national carrier, and is a setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s credentials as a reformer willing to step away from running money-losing businesses. Air India, known for its Maharaja mascot, has some of India`s most lucrative international and domestic landing and parking slots that are key for airlines. While a buyer would have got management control and gained access to more than 2,500 international slots and over 3,700 domestic slots, it would also have been required to take on Air India`s 27,000 employees, 40 percent of whom are permanent staff. The terms had also stipulated that the government would have continued to hold a 24 percent stake, with the need for the bidder to abide by conditions, not yet detailed, designed to safeguard employee interests. The government will soon arrange a bank loan for Air India, the second official said, to meet working capital needs and buy time for a few months before inviting fresh bids. "The heavens would not fall if the stake sale is deferred to the next fiscal year," the official said adding that ahead of national elections next year, the government could not take the risk of selling the national carrier at a low price. This could cost the government politically and hurt the process of further privatisation of other state companies, he said.

India open to listing Air India after failed divestment: Government source

&nbspAir India has invited bids for Rs 1,000-crore Short Term Loan (STL) from financial institutions and banks to meet its "urgent working capital requirements."

The national carrier, which recently failed to get even a single bidder for its disinvestment plan, has called for financial bids by June 13 for the tenure of one year.

"Air India is inviting bids for Government Guaranteed INR STL totalling to Rs 1,000 crore to meet its urgent working capital requirements," the airline said in a statement.

"The tenure of the loan will be for one year (renewable) from the date of availing the STL. The amount of Rs 1,000 crore will be drawn in June'18 in one or more tranches.

"The government of India guarantee is presently valid for one year," it added.

On May 31, the government had said no initial bids were received for the strategic disinvestment for the loss-making carrier.

The national carrier, which recently failed to get even a single bidder for its disinvestment plan, has called for financial bids by June 13 for the tenure of one year

&nbspAir India has invited bids for Rs 1,000-crore Short Term Loan (STL) from financial institutions and banks to meet its "urgent working capital requirements." The national carrier, which recently failed to get even a single bidder for its disinvestment plan, has called for financial bids by June 13 for the tenure of one year. "Air India is inviting bids for Government Guaranteed INR STL totalling to Rs 1,000 crore to meet its urgent working capital requirements," the airline said in a statement. "The tenure of the loan will be for one year (renewable) from the date of availing the STL. The amount of Rs 1,000 crore will be drawn in June'18 in one or more tranches. "The government of India guarantee is presently valid for one year," it added. On May 31, the government had said no initial bids were received for the strategic disinvestment for the loss-making carrier.

Air India seeks Rs 1,000 crore short-term loan

In a major setback to the Air India disinvestment process, the government today said no initial bids were received for the proposed stake sale and various options would be explored for the future of the debt-laden national carrier.

The deadline for submission of Expression of Interest (EoI) ended today with not a single bidder evincing interest in the airline, nearly one year after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government gave its nod for the stake sale.

In nearly two decades, this is the second time that Air India stake sale has not taken off. Back in 2001, during the then NDA government, the disinvestment process was scrapped.

"As informed by the transaction adviser, no response has been received for the Expression of Interest floated for the strategic disinvestment of Air India," the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a tweet.

"Further course of action will be decided appropriately," it added.

EY is the transaction adviser for the process.

Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said the government was expecting better participation for the Air India stake sale and indicated that there could be a re-think on the strategy.

The alternative mechanism headed by the finance minister would decide the future course of action on Air India disinvestment, Choubey said, even as he emphasised that the government would not like the airline to lose the market share.

A joint forum of Air India employee unions claimed "victory" as the government failed to attract bidders.

To a query on the possible impact on the government's fiscal deficit and disinvestment target, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said, "We would need to look at what these options are whichever option is chosen... will have an implication for the current year".

The government has proposed to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control to private players, as per the preliminary information memorandum.

The transaction would involve Air India, its low-cost arm Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd. The latter is an equal joint venture between the national carrier and Singapore-based SATS Ltd.

Under the proposed disinvestment process, around Rs 33,000 crore debt would have remained with Air India. The national carrier's debt burden was about Rs 50,000 crore at the end of March 2017.

Earlier this month, the government had extended the EoI submission deadline to May 31 from the previous date of May 14. The qualified interested bidders were to be intimated on June 15.

"The buzz we received (about Air India stake sale) was certainly encouraging... The transaction adviser will be finding out what is it that they (potential bidders) still found to be a deterrent. We will sit together and take stock," he noted.

Choubey said the entire process has been a great learning experience and we are in a much better position to judge what the market wants.

"We, again and again, informed the market that the government has no intention of doing any kind of control other than whatever is the limited rights that we will get as part of shareholders' agreement. We did not leave it ambiguous. Our impression is that we were very very clear which ought to have given the comfort that the new buyer can run exactly as it wants," he said.

The government would retain 24 per cent stake in the national carrier, the winning bidder would be required to stay invested in the airline for at least three years, as per the memorandum that was issued on March 28.

Indicating that there would be a re-think on disinvestment strategy, Choubey said the government would factor in all the learnings, including those related to employees and debt while deciding the future course of action.

The government will ensure that the airline does not face "any operational difficulties following the latest developments", Choubey said.

He was responding to a query on whether the airline would now be having more financial uncertainties as there are decisions linked to the outcome of the disinvestment process.

In April, both IndiGo and Jet Airways had said that they would not be participating in the Air India disinvestment process. IndiGo was the first to evince interest in Air India disinvestment when the government had mooted the plan last year.

Explaining about the next steps, Choubey said the process involves going to the evaluation committee -- which is an inter-ministerial grouping -- under the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), then to the Core Group on Disinvestment headed by Cabinet Secretary and finally to the alternative mechanism.

The alternative mechanism on Air India is likely to take up the matter in a couple of weeks, he added.

"Various options are available and the alternate mechanism would take a call," he said, adding that current bid process cannot go forward since there are no EoIs.

Air India is staying afloat on a bailout package worth over Rs 30,000 crore approved by the previous UPA regime in 2012.

Aviation consultancy CAPA urged the government to carry out a comprehensive restructuring of debt-ridden Air India and followed by 100 per cent divestment with less complex terms.

A joint forum of Air India employee unions claimed "victory" as the government failed to attract bidders.

In a major setback to the Air India disinvestment process, the government today said no initial bids were received for the proposed stake sale and various options would be explored for the future of the debt-laden national carrier. The deadline for submission of Expression of Interest (EoI) ended today with not a single bidder evincing interest in the airline, nearly one year after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government gave its nod for the stake sale. In nearly two decades, this is the second time that Air India stake sale has not taken off. Back in 2001, during the then NDA government, the disinvestment process was scrapped. "As informed by the transaction adviser, no response has been received for the Expression of Interest floated for the strategic disinvestment of Air India," the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a tweet. "Further course of action will be decided appropriately," it added. EY is the transaction adviser for the process. Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said the government was expecting better participation for the Air India stake sale and indicated that there could be a re-think on the strategy. The alternative mechanism headed by the finance minister would decide the future course of action on Air India disinvestment, Choubey said, even as he emphasised that the government would not like the airline to lose the market share. A joint forum of Air India employee unions claimed "victory" as the government failed to attract bidders. To a query on the possible impact on the government's fiscal deficit and disinvestment target, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said, "We would need to look at what these options are whichever option is chosen... will have an implication for the current year". The government has proposed to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control to private players, as per the preliminary information memorandum. The transaction would involve Air India, its low-cost arm Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd. The latter is an equal joint venture between the national carrier and Singapore-based SATS Ltd. Under the proposed disinvestment process, around Rs 33,000 crore debt would have remained with Air India. The national carrier's debt burden was about Rs 50,000 crore at the end of March 2017. Earlier this month, the government had extended the EoI submission deadline to May 31 from the previous date of May 14. The qualified interested bidders were to be intimated on June 15. "The buzz we received (about Air India stake sale) was certainly encouraging... The transaction adviser will be finding out what is it that they (potential bidders) still found to be a deterrent. We will sit together and take stock," he noted. Choubey said the entire process has been a great learning experience and we are in a much better position to judge what the market wants. "We, again and again, informed the market that the government has no intention of doing any kind of control other than whatever is the limited rights that we will get as part of shareholders' agreement. We did not leave it ambiguous. Our impression is that we were very very clear which ought to have given the comfort that the new buyer can run exactly as it wants," he said. The government would retain 24 per cent stake in the national carrier, the winning bidder would be required to stay invested in the airline for at least three years, as per the memorandum that was issued on March 28. Indicating that there would be a re-think on disinvestment strategy, Choubey said the government would factor in all the learnings, including those related to employees and debt while deciding the future course of action. The government will ensure that the airline does not face "any operational difficulties following the latest developments", Choubey said. He was responding to a query on whether the airline would now be having more financial uncertainties as there are decisions linked to the outcome of the disinvestment process. In April, both IndiGo and Jet Airways had said that they would not be participating in the Air India disinvestment process. IndiGo was the first to evince interest in Air India disinvestment when the government had mooted the plan last year. Explaining about the next steps, Choubey said the process involves going to the evaluation committee -- which is an inter-ministerial grouping -- under the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), then to the Core Group on Disinvestment headed by Cabinet Secretary and finally to the alternative mechanism. The alternative mechanism on Air India is likely to take up the matter in a couple of weeks, he added. "Various options are available and the alternate mechanism would take a call," he said, adding that current bid process cannot go forward since there are no EoIs. Air India is staying afloat on a bailout package worth over Rs 30,000 crore approved by the previous UPA regime in 2012. Aviation consultancy CAPA urged the government to carry out a comprehensive restructuring of debt-ridden Air India and followed by 100 per cent divestment with less complex terms.

No bidders for Air India stake sale; govt likely to re-think strategy

The Indian government said it did not receive any expressions of interest in its planned Air India stake sale. The deadline for submission of expression of interest ended today.

"As informed by the Transaction Adviser, no response has been received for the Expression of Interest floated for the strategic disinvestment of Air India," the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a tweet.

"Further course of action will be decided appropriately," it added.

Ernst & Young is the transaction advisor for the process.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 per cent stake and offload about $5.1 billion (3.8 billion pounds) of its debt.

Air India, known for its Maharaja mascot, has some of India's most lucrative international and domestic landing and parking slots that are key for airlines.

While a buyer would have got management control and gained access to more than 2,500 international slots and over 3,700 domestic slots, it would also have been required to take on Air India's 27,000 employees, 40 per cent of whom are permanent staff.

The terms had also stipulated that the government would have continued to hold a 24 per cent stake, with the need for the bidder to abide by conditions, not yet detailed, designed to safeguard employee interests.

The government had also restricted merging the airline with the buyer's existing businesses, but later relaxed the rule to allow some integration for business efficiency.

Jet Airways and rival IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, have already opted out of the race.

(With inputs from agencies)

The government is planning to divest a 76 per cent stake in the loss-making state-owned carrier.

The Indian government said it did not receive any expressions of interest in its planned Air India stake sale. The deadline for submission of expression of interest ended today. "As informed by the Transaction Adviser, no response has been received for the Expression of Interest floated for the strategic disinvestment of Air India," the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a tweet. "Further course of action will be decided appropriately," it added. Ernst & Young is the transaction advisor for the process. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 per cent stake and offload about $5.1 billion (3.8 billion pounds) of its debt. Air India, known for its Maharaja mascot, has some of India's most lucrative international and domestic landing and parking slots that are key for airlines. While a buyer would have got management control and gained access to more than 2,500 international slots and over 3,700 domestic slots, it would also have been required to take on Air India's 27,000 employees, 40 per cent of whom are permanent staff. The terms had also stipulated that the government would have continued to hold a 24 per cent stake, with the need for the bidder to abide by conditions, not yet detailed, designed to safeguard employee interests. The government had also restricted merging the airline with the buyer's existing businesses, but later relaxed the rule to allow some integration for business efficiency. Jet Airways and rival IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, have already opted out of the race. (With inputs from agencies)

No bids received for Air India stake sale, says government

An Air India pilot was found dead in a health club of a hotel in Riyadh on Wednesday morning.&nbsp

Air India first officer Capt Rithwik Tiwari was found dead in a small toilet room located in a health club of the hotel on Wednesday morning.

A spokesperson of the airline also informed the Indian embassy in Riyadh and family of the pilot about the same.

"We got the news of our pilot died in Riyadh we informed his family as well as our embassy in Riyadh," Air India spokesperson said.

(With inputs from ANI)

A spokesperson of the airline also informed the Indian embassy in Riyadh and family of the pilot about the same.

An Air India pilot was found dead in a health club of a hotel in Riyadh on Wednesday morning. Air India first officer Capt Rithwik Tiwari was found dead in a small toilet room located in a health club of the hotel on Wednesday morning. A spokesperson of the airline also informed the Indian embassy in Riyadh and family of the pilot about the same. "We got the news of our pilot died in Riyadh we informed his family as well as our embassy in Riyadh," Air India spokesperson said. (With inputs from ANI)

Air India confirms the death of its pilot in Riyadh

The government has not received any bids so far for its stake in state-run carrier Air India, the civil aviation secretary told TV channels, a day before the formal bidding process closes.

The government will not extend the deadline for submissions of interest in Air India, R.N. Choubey said on Wednesday. The deadline for receiving bids has already been extended once to May 31 from May 14.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 per cent stake and offload about $5.1 billion (3.8 billion pounds) of its debt.

The government is planning to divest a 76 per cent stake in the loss-making state-owned carrier, which has reportedly been laden with debts running into thousands of crores.

After the terms were disclosed, no company has come forward to say it is interesting or to reaffirm previous interest.

Jet Airways and rival IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, have already opted out of the race.&nbsp

(With inputs from Agencies)

The government is planning to divest a 76 per cent stake in the loss-making state-owned carrier, which has reportedly been laden with debts running into thousands of crores.

The government has not received any bids so far for its stake in state-run carrier Air India, the civil aviation secretary told TV channels, a day before the formal bidding process closes. The government will not extend the deadline for submissions of interest in Air India, R.N. Choubey said on Wednesday. The deadline for receiving bids has already been extended once to May 31 from May 14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 per cent stake and offload about $5.1 billion (3.8 billion pounds) of its debt. The government is planning to divest a 76 per cent stake in the loss-making state-owned carrier, which has reportedly been laden with debts running into thousands of crores. After the terms were disclosed, no company has come forward to say it is interesting or to reaffirm previous interest. Jet Airways and rival IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, have already opted out of the race. (With inputs from Agencies)

No bids for Air India so far, will not extend deadline: Aviation secretary

Air India grounded several passengers at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday after its Delhi -Rajkot flight was found to be overbooked, reported news agency ANI.

The airlines refused to allow few passengers to board AI-495 flight scheduled for around 5 pm, the report added.

The deboarded passengers were sent to their respective destinations through an alternative flight.

The report quoting a spokesperson of the national carrier said, "In practice, we booked over 10 percent passengers, in this case, passengers are accommodated in the next flight."

Reportedly, the passengers protested against the move at the airport terminal.&nbsp

The airlines refused to allow few passengers to board AI-495 flight scheduled for around 5 pm

Air India grounded several passengers at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday after its Delhi -Rajkot flight was found to be overbooked, reported news agency ANI. The airlines refused to allow few passengers to board AI-495 flight scheduled for around 5 pm, the report added. The deboarded passengers were sent to their respective destinations through an alternative flight. The report quoting a spokesperson of the national carrier said, "In practice, we booked over 10 percent passengers, in this case, passengers are accommodated in the next flight." Reportedly, the passengers protested against the move at the airport terminal.

Air India grounds several passengers due to overbooking

Disinvestment-bound flag carrier Air India will phase out its remaining three Classic A320 planes, which are nearly three decades old, from the fleet by the end of this year.

The airline had in April 2014 announced its plans to retire all 14 single-isle double-bogey wheel planes from its fleet in a phased manner after it decided to induct more fuel-efficient Airbus A320 neo planes into operations.

Air India has already removed 11 classic A320 planes out of operations and the remaining three such aircrafts will be going out of the fleet by December this year, a senior company official told PTI.

The official said that though these planes are still flying, but they are carrying out limited operations.

"Most of the time these planes are on a standby mode and they perform one or two schedule flight in a day," the official said.

Earlier, the carrier had planned to retire these planes by March this year.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) - one of Air India's pilots' bodies - had in 2015 termed these aged planes as "lethal and snag-prone" and demanded their grounding from aviation regulator DGCA in order to ensure passengers' safety.

The airline had in April 2014 announced its plans to retire all 14 single-isle double-bogey wheel planes from its fleet in a phased manner after it decided to induct more fuel-efficient Airbus A320 neo planes into operations

Disinvestment-bound flag carrier Air India will phase out its remaining three Classic A320 planes, which are nearly three decades old, from the fleet by the end of this year. The airline had in April 2014 announced its plans to retire all 14 single-isle double-bogey wheel planes from its fleet in a phased manner after it decided to induct more fuel-efficient Airbus A320 neo planes into operations. Air India has already removed 11 classic A320 planes out of operations and the remaining three such aircrafts will be going out of the fleet by December this year, a senior company official told PTI. The official said that though these planes are still flying, but they are carrying out limited operations. "Most of the time these planes are on a standby mode and they perform one or two schedule flight in a day," the official said. Earlier, the carrier had planned to retire these planes by March this year. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) - one of Air India's pilots' bodies - had in 2015 termed these aged planes as "lethal and snag-prone" and demanded their grounding from aviation regulator DGCA in order to ensure passengers' safety.

Air India to phase out remaining 3 Classic A320s by December

The CIC has directed the Air India to disclose complete records related to bills raised for the foreign visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underlining that since the expenditure is from the public exchequer it cannot be withheld under the “cloak” of commercial confidence and fiduciary capacity.

The commission rejected the arguments of Air India’s central public information officer (CPIO) that the information relates to commercial confidence and is held by the public sector undertaking in a fiduciary capacity, making it exempt from disclosure.

“Moreover, by no stretch of imagination, it can be acceptable that the information regarding dates, duration and places of visit by the PM in his official capacity are exempted u/s sections 8 or 9 of the RTI Act (the exemption clauses under the RTI Act),” Information Commissioner Amitava Bhattacharyya ruled.

He said each individual bill, as well as the dates of receipt of amounts, should be disclosed as the same involved “expenditure out of public exchequer”.

Bhattacharyya noted that Air India’s denial to part with the sought for information without citing any exemption clause under the RTI Act is “not acceptable” as a “justifiable denial of information” sought by RTI applicant Lokesh Batra.

“CPIO (Air India) on one hand claimed that the sought for information is related to a matter of commercial confidence and on the other hand the CPIO concerned stated that the information sought for is maintained by Air India in a fiduciary capacity,” he observed.

Batra had sought to know dates, durations, places visited and the date-wise copies of bills raised by Air India to the PMO for 2016-17.

“The commission after close scrutiny of the information sought by the appellant observed that dates, duration and places of the prime minister’s foreign visits are disclosable (sic) as these details are widely reported in the media, both national & international and both print & electronic,” Bhattacharyya said.

He said the commission is not convinced with the CPIO’s submission of exemption under the “cloak of commercial confidence and fiduciary relationship” with the client concerned, which in this case is another wing of the same government.

In response to a separate RTI application of Batra, filed recently, seeking similar information from Air India, the national carrier had cited an instruction from the PMO to not share information related to the prime minister’s foreign visits.

In an e-mail, sent to an Air India official on December 26, 2016, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had said, “Records pertaining to PM’s flight have certain information which may have security implications and are, hence, exempted from disclosure under clause (g) of Section 8(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.”

“As such, the Air India is advised not to disclose information relating to PM’s flight to such RTI queries,” it said.

It was not clear what had prompted the PMO’s e-mail in 2016. However, the present RTI application in which the commission has given orders to disclose was filed on September 14, 2016.

The CIC rejected Air India’s submission that the details were exempt from RTI because of ‘commercial confidence and fiduciary relationship with the client’.

The CIC has directed the Air India to disclose complete records related to bills raised for the foreign visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underlining that since the expenditure is from the public exchequer it cannot be withheld under the “cloak” of commercial confidence and fiduciary capacity. The commission rejected the arguments of Air India’s central public information officer (CPIO) that the information relates to commercial confidence and is held by the public sector undertaking in a fiduciary capacity, making it exempt from disclosure. “Moreover, by no stretch of imagination, it can be acceptable that the information regarding dates, duration and places of visit by the PM in his official capacity are exempted u/s sections 8 or 9 of the RTI Act (the exemption clauses under the RTI Act),” Information Commissioner Amitava Bhattacharyya ruled. He said each individual bill, as well as the dates of receipt of amounts, should be disclosed as the same involved “expenditure out of public exchequer”. Bhattacharyya noted that Air India’s denial to part with the sought for information without citing any exemption clause under the RTI Act is “not acceptable” as a “justifiable denial of information” sought by RTI applicant Lokesh Batra. “CPIO (Air India) on one hand claimed that the sought for information is related to a matter of commercial confidence and on the other hand the CPIO concerned stated that the information sought for is maintained by Air India in a fiduciary capacity,” he observed. Batra had sought to know dates, durations, places visited and the date-wise copies of bills raised by Air India to the PMO for 2016-17. “The commission after close scrutiny of the information sought by the appellant observed that dates, duration and places of the prime minister’s foreign visits are disclosable (sic) as these details are widely reported in the media, both national & international and both print & electronic,” Bhattacharyya said. He said the commission is not convinced with the CPIO’s submission of exemption under the “cloak of commercial confidence and fiduciary relationship” with the client concerned, which in this case is another wing of the same government. In response to a separate RTI application of Batra, filed recently, seeking similar information from Air India, the national carrier had cited an instruction from the PMO to not share information related to the prime minister’s foreign visits. In an e-mail, sent to an Air India official on December 26, 2016, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had said, “Records pertaining to PM’s flight have certain information which may have security implications and are, hence, exempted from disclosure under clause (g) of Section 8(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.” “As such, the Air India is advised not to disclose information relating to PM’s flight to such RTI queries,” it said. It was not clear what had prompted the PMO’s e-mail in 2016. However, the present RTI application in which the commission has given orders to disclose was filed on September 14, 2016.

Reveal PM Narendra Modi's foreign visit bills: Information commission to Air India

Air India flight travelling from Amritsar&nbsp;to Delhi experienced severe turbulence on Sunday.

Three passengers travelling on the plane sustained minor injuries due to the turmoil.&nbsp;

A window panel also fell off from the flight.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a probe into the matter.&nbsp;

The passengers travelling on board were given medical assistance on reaching the Delhi airport.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Air India flight from Amritsar to Delhi experienced severe turbulence and three passengers sustained minor injuries. A window panel also fell off. DGCA begins probe (19.4.18) <a href="https://t.co/WBp0v56oTy">pic.twitter.com/WBp0v56oTy</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/987946324141268993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Three passengers travelling on the plane sustained minor injuries due to the turmoil

Air India flight travelling from Amritsar to Delhi experienced severe turbulence on Sunday. Three passengers travelling on the plane sustained minor injuries due to the turmoil. A window panel also fell off from the flight. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated a probe into the matter. The passengers travelling on board were given medical assistance on reaching the Delhi airport. #WATCH Air India flight from Amritsar to Delhi experienced severe turbulence and three passengers sustained minor injuries. A window panel also fell off. DGCA begins probe (19.4.18) pic.twitter.com/WBp0v56oTy — ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2018 ×

Watch: Air India flight experiences severe turbulence, window panel falls off

Air India has ordered a probe into the complaints that one of its senior pilots threatened to hit his co-pilots with 'crash axe' at least on two flights, the sources said.

While ordering probe, India's national carrier also directed the senior pilot not to perform his duties as an instructor till further orders. His 'trainership,' however, was restored last week.

In the first incident, the pilot, who is a trainer, allegedly threatened the use of crash axe in the presence of a safety pilot doing the route check.

According to sources, the trainer pilot who was in the cockpit of Air Indian flight AI 709 from Kolkata to Dimapur on January 18, 2018, allegedly threatened to use the axe against the co-pilot who was doing his route check.

On January 26, 2018, the senior commander allegedly misbehaved again with his co-pilot and doled out the same threat to his trainee pilot during a Mumbai-Kolkata flight, forcing the trainee pilot to file a complaint against him, sources said.

Sources said the probe is still on and the instructor has already submitted his response on the incident.

While ordering probe, Air India also directed the senior pilot not to perform his duties as an instructor till further orders.

Air India has ordered a probe into the complaints that one of its senior pilots threatened to hit his co-pilots with 'crash axe' at least on two flights, the sources said. While ordering probe, India's national carrier also directed the senior pilot not to perform his duties as an instructor till further orders. His 'trainership,' however, was restored last week. In the first incident, the pilot, who is a trainer, allegedly threatened the use of crash axe in the presence of a safety pilot doing the route check. According to sources, the trainer pilot who was in the cockpit of Air Indian flight AI 709 from Kolkata to Dimapur on January 18, 2018, allegedly threatened to use the axe against the co-pilot who was doing his route check. On January 26, 2018, the senior commander allegedly misbehaved again with his co-pilot and doled out the same threat to his trainee pilot during a Mumbai-Kolkata flight, forcing the trainee pilot to file a complaint against him, sources said. Sources said the probe is still on and the instructor has already submitted his response on the incident.

Air India pilot threatened co-pilots with axe, probe ordered

Alleging that the probable bidders are using "arm twisting tactics" to force the government sell the national carrier for cheap, a forum of 10 Air India unions has said that it will take up the issue with the PMO and the civil aviation ministry, among others.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the forum also reiterated its opposition to the privatisation of the loss-making airline, saying that "it (Air India) is our national pride and it served the nation many a times in need."

The statement comes following one after another potential bidder opting out of the Air India sale process after the government coming out with the terms of offer in the information memorandum.

 
"The so-claimed probable buyers are using arm twisting tactics so as to put pressure on the government to succumb to change the terms and conditions best suited to them and the Air India is sold for a song," the Joint Forum of Air India Unions/Guilds/Association said in the statement.

The forum comprises Air Corporations Employees Union, All India Service Engineers Associations, Air India Employees Union, Aviation Industry Employee Guild, Air India Aircraft Engineers Association, All India Aircraft Engineers Association, Air India Engineers Association, United Air India Officers Association, All India Cabin Crew Association and All India Airline Retired Personnel Association.

On March 28, the civil aviation ministry came out with the preliminary information memorandum on Air India's strategic disinvestment, as per which, the government plans to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control.

The proposed transaction would involve Air India, its low-cost arm Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services, which is an equal joint venture between the national airline and Singapore-based SATS.

"The joint forum as stated many times has strongly opposed the privatisation of Air India and its subsidiaries as the Air India is our national pride and served the nation many a times at needs," the forum said.

"This statement is issued by the joint forum to safeguard the national interest. A detailed letter in this regard will be sent to the prime minister office, ministry of civil aviation and Air India management," it added.

Budget carrier IndiGo, which is struggling with Pratt & Whitney engine issues in its A320 Neo planes, had initially evinced interest in acquiring Air India's international operations, but later backed out, saying such an option was not available under the disinvestment plan.

Days later, Naresh Goyal-owned Jet Airways also said it had decided not to participate in the Air India sale process considering the terms of offer in the information memorandum and based on its review.

The forum had held a protest meeting also at the national carrier's Kalina officer here yesterday against the government's privatisation move.

The government is giving the Air India to private players at a time when the carrier is improving its operational and financial performance, the forum had alleged, stating that the move amounts to "socialising losses and privatising profits.

The statement comes following one after another potential bidder opting out of the Air India sale.

Alleging that the probable bidders are using "arm twisting tactics" to force the government sell the national carrier for cheap, a forum of 10 Air India unions has said that it will take up the issue with the PMO and the civil aviation ministry, among others. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the forum also reiterated its opposition to the privatisation of the loss-making airline, saying that "it (Air India) is our national pride and it served the nation many a times in need." The statement comes following one after another potential bidder opting out of the Air India sale process after the government coming out with the terms of offer in the information memorandum. "The so-claimed probable buyers are using arm twisting tactics so as to put pressure on the government to succumb to change the terms and conditions best suited to them and the Air India is sold for a song," the Joint Forum of Air India Unions/Guilds/Association said in the statement. The forum comprises Air Corporations Employees Union, All India Service Engineers Associations, Air India Employees Union, Aviation Industry Employee Guild, Air India Aircraft Engineers Association, All India Aircraft Engineers Association, Air India Engineers Association, United Air India Officers Association, All India Cabin Crew Association and All India Airline Retired Personnel Association. On March 28, the civil aviation ministry came out with the preliminary information memorandum on Air India's strategic disinvestment, as per which, the government plans to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control. The proposed transaction would involve Air India, its low-cost arm Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services, which is an equal joint venture between the national airline and Singapore-based SATS. "The joint forum as stated many times has strongly opposed the privatisation of Air India and its subsidiaries as the Air India is our national pride and served the nation many a times at needs," the forum said. "This statement is issued by the joint forum to safeguard the national interest. A detailed letter in this regard will be sent to the prime minister office, ministry of civil aviation and Air India management," it added. Budget carrier IndiGo, which is struggling with Pratt & Whitney engine issues in its A320 Neo planes, had initially evinced interest in acquiring Air India's international operations, but later backed out, saying such an option was not available under the disinvestment plan. Days later, Naresh Goyal-owned Jet Airways also said it had decided not to participate in the Air India sale process considering the terms of offer in the information memorandum and based on its review. The forum had held a protest meeting also at the national carrier's Kalina officer here yesterday against the government's privatisation move. The government is giving the Air India to private players at a time when the carrier is improving its operational and financial performance, the forum had alleged, stating that the move amounts to "socialising losses and privatising profits.

Potential bidders 'arm twisting' govt on Air India sale, say unions

India`s steel-to-autos conglomerate Tata Group, widely seen as a potential suitor for Air India, is unlikely to consider a bid for the state-run carrier as the government`s terms are just too onerous, two sources familiar with the matter said.

India, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 percent stake and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt.

But the government has stipulated the winning bidder cannot merge the airline with existing businesses as long as the government holds a stake. The winner may also be required to list Air India and would need to abide by conditions designed to safeguard employee interests, restricting its ability to cut staff.

Since the terms were disclosed, no company has come forward to say it is interested or to reaffirm previous interest, while Jet Airways and rival IndiGo, have already publicly opted out of the race.

Tata Group, which already owns stakes in two airline joint-ventures in India, does not see "how a deal would be workable" under the current terms, said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.&nbsp

The same source also said the airline had too much debt and noted there was little clarity on what a buyer would be allowed to do with the airline`s large workforce.

"Anyone who puts money upfront ... even for Tata to put in that kind of money, it would want complete control," added the second source.

Tata Sons, the holding company for the conglomerate Tata Group, declined to comment.

Prior to the disclosure of the terms, there had been some expression of interest from the group.

In January, Leslie Thng, the chief executive of Vistara, a joint-venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines told reporters its owners were open to evaluating a bid for Air India. Vistara declined to comment and Singapore Airlines had no immediate comment on Wednesday.

Last October, Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, said in a TV interview the group would "definitely look" at Air India once the privatisation process was finalised

India, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 percent stake and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt

India`s steel-to-autos conglomerate Tata Group, widely seen as a potential suitor for Air India, is unlikely to consider a bid for the state-run carrier as the government`s terms are just too onerous, two sources familiar with the matter said. India, keen to sell the loss-making, debt-ridden airline, finalised plans in late March to divest a 76 percent stake and offload about $5.1 billion of its debt. But the government has stipulated the winning bidder cannot merge the airline with existing businesses as long as the government holds a stake. The winner may also be required to list Air India and would need to abide by conditions designed to safeguard employee interests, restricting its ability to cut staff. Since the terms were disclosed, no company has come forward to say it is interested or to reaffirm previous interest, while Jet Airways and rival IndiGo, have already publicly opted out of the race. Tata Group, which already owns stakes in two airline joint-ventures in India, does not see "how a deal would be workable" under the current terms, said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. The same source also said the airline had too much debt and noted there was little clarity on what a buyer would be allowed to do with the airline`s large workforce. "Anyone who puts money upfront ... even for Tata to put in that kind of money, it would want complete control," added the second source. Tata Sons, the holding company for the conglomerate Tata Group, declined to comment. Prior to the disclosure of the terms, there had been some expression of interest from the group. In January, Leslie Thng, the chief executive of Vistara, a joint-venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines told reporters its owners were open to evaluating a bid for Air India. Vistara declined to comment and Singapore Airlines had no immediate comment on Wednesday. Last October, Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, said in a TV interview the group would "definitely look" at Air India once the privatisation process was finalised

Tata Group unlikely to bid for Air India as terms too onerous

Jet Airways on Tuesday became the latest major Indian airline&nbsp;to rule out a bid for debt-laden national carrier Air India in a new blow to the government's privatisation plans.

The announcement came just days after rival IndiGo pulled out of the race&nbsp;to acquire Air India's operations meaning the government now has no clear frontrunner in the sale campaign.

"We welcome the government move to privatise Air India. It is a bold step," &nbsp;Jet Airways' deputy chief executive, Amit Agarwal said in a statement emailed to AFP.

"However, considering the terms of offer in the information memorandum and based on our review, we are not participating in the process," he added.

Once the country's monopoly airline, Air India has slowly lost market share to new low-cost private players in one of the world's fastest-growing airline markets.

Air India ran losses for nearly a decade after a botched merger in 2007 and has debts of around $7.67 billion according to government figures.

It has received $5.8 billion in bailout funds from the government but needs even more working capital to turn it around, experts say.

The Indian government recently said it wanted to sell a 76 percent chunk of the struggling carrier.

It released bid documents on what would be one of the country's highest-profile asset sales in decades showing it wants the prospective buyer to take on all of Air India's operations.

IndiGo, India's largest airline, withdrew on Friday, saying it was interested only in Air India's international routes and not its domestic operations.

India has the world's fastest-growing passenger airline industry, expanding at an annual rate of around 20 percent.&nbsp;

About 100 million of its 1.25 billion people took to the skies in 2016 and airlines have embarked on huge purchases of new jets in expectation of new growth.

The announcement came just days after rival IndiGo pulled out of the race to acquire Air India's operations meaning the government now has no clear frontrunner in the sale campaign

Jet Airways on Tuesday became the latest major Indian airline to rule out a bid for debt-laden national carrier Air India in a new blow to the government's privatisation plans. The announcement came just days after rival IndiGo pulled out of the race to acquire Air India's operations meaning the government now has no clear frontrunner in the sale campaign. "We welcome the government move to privatise Air India. It is a bold step," Jet Airways' deputy chief executive, Amit Agarwal said in a statement emailed to AFP. "However, considering the terms of offer in the information memorandum and based on our review, we are not participating in the process," he added. Once the country's monopoly airline, Air India has slowly lost market share to new low-cost private players in one of the world's fastest-growing airline markets. Air India ran losses for nearly a decade after a botched merger in 2007 and has debts of around $7.67 billion according to government figures. It has received $5.8 billion in bailout funds from the government but needs even more working capital to turn it around, experts say. The Indian government recently said it wanted to sell a 76 percent chunk of the struggling carrier. It released bid documents on what would be one of the country's highest-profile asset sales in decades showing it wants the prospective buyer to take on all of Air India's operations. IndiGo, India's largest airline, withdrew on Friday, saying it was interested only in Air India's international routes and not its domestic operations. India has the world's fastest-growing passenger airline industry, expanding at an annual rate of around 20 percent. About 100 million of its 1.25 billion people took to the skies in 2016 and airlines have embarked on huge purchases of new jets in expectation of new growth.

Jet Airways rules out Air India bid

The government&nbsp;on Wednesday said it plans to sell a controlling stake in Air India along with roughly $5.1 billion of the state-run carrier's debt, one of the biggest divestments undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

The government plans to sell a 76 per cent stake in the carrier that operates both domestic and international routes, according to official bid documents released by the ministry of civil aviation.

The proposed sale will also include a 100 per cent stake in Air India's low-cost arm - Air India Express, and a 50 per cent stake in its ground-handling arm - SATS Airport Services.

Bids for the assets are expected to be submitted by May 14.

Modi's cabinet gave the go-ahead last year to sell the loss-making flagship airline after successive governments spent billions of dollars to keep it solvent.

But its debt burden of about $8 billion and a bloated cost structure have been a concern.

Previous attempts to offload the airline have been unsuccessful. If Modi can pull this off, it will buttress his credentials as a reformer brave enough to wade into some of the country's most intractable problems.

Air India has six subsidiaries – three of which are loss-making – with assets worth about $4.6 billion. It has an estimated $1.24 billion worth of real estate, including two hotels, where ownership is split among various government entities.

Companies including low-cost Indian carrier IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, Tata Group and Turkey's Celebi Aviation Holdings, have expressed an interest in buying some of Air India's operations. Singapore Airlines has also said the company has an open mind about making an initial bid.

The successful bidder would need to retain its stake in Air India and management control of the airline for at least three years, according to the government document. The winning bidder would also need to ensure that substantial ownership and effective control of Air India and Air India Express would continue to be vested in Indian nationals.

Air India was founded in the 1930s and is known to generations of Indians for its Maharajah mascot. The government has injected $3.6 billion since 2012 to bail out the airline.

The proposed sale will also include a 100 percent stake in Air India's low-cost arm - Air India Express, and a 50 percent stake in its ground-handling arm - SATS Airport Services.

The government on Wednesday said it plans to sell a controlling stake in Air India along with roughly $5.1 billion of the state-run carrier's debt, one of the biggest divestments undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. The government plans to sell a 76 per cent stake in the carrier that operates both domestic and international routes, according to official bid documents released by the ministry of civil aviation. The proposed sale will also include a 100 per cent stake in Air India's low-cost arm - Air India Express, and a 50 per cent stake in its ground-handling arm - SATS Airport Services. Bids for the assets are expected to be submitted by May 14. Modi's cabinet gave the go-ahead last year to sell the loss-making flagship airline after successive governments spent billions of dollars to keep it solvent. But its debt burden of about $8 billion and a bloated cost structure have been a concern. Previous attempts to offload the airline have been unsuccessful. If Modi can pull this off, it will buttress his credentials as a reformer brave enough to wade into some of the country's most intractable problems. Air India has six subsidiaries – three of which are loss-making – with assets worth about $4.6 billion. It has an estimated $1.24 billion worth of real estate, including two hotels, where ownership is split among various government entities. Companies including low-cost Indian carrier IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, Tata Group and Turkey's Celebi Aviation Holdings, have expressed an interest in buying some of Air India's operations. Singapore Airlines has also said the company has an open mind about making an initial bid. The successful bidder would need to retain its stake in Air India and management control of the airline for at least three years, according to the government document. The winning bidder would also need to ensure that substantial ownership and effective control of Air India and Air India Express would continue to be vested in Indian nationals. Air India was founded in the 1930s and is known to generations of Indians for its Maharajah mascot. The government has injected $3.6 billion since 2012 to bail out the airline.

Government to sell 76 per cent stake in state-run carrier Air India

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-xi-kim-meeting-trump-says-north-korean-leader-will-do-what-is-right-for-his-people-and-for-humanity-126805">After Xi, Kim meeting, Trump says North Korean leader 'will do what is right for his people and for humanity'</a>

As Kim Jong Un met China's President Xi in Beijing in a secret, President Trump in a tweet said the North Korean leader will do "what is right and move toward peace".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbse-exam-paper-leak-pm-modi-asks-hrd-minister-to-take-strict-action-126790">CBSE exam paper leak: PM Modi asks HRD minister to take 'strict action'</a>

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be reconducting the Economics exam for Class XII and Mathematics exam for Class X after reports of paper leak surfaced.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/king-of-good-times-vijay-mallya-to-get-married-to-girlfriend-pinky-lalwani-126809">'King of Good Times' Vijay Mallya to get married to girlfriend Pinky Lalwani</a>

Vijay Mallya, popularly referred to as the ‘King of Good Times’ who was believed to be going through a rough patch owing to his loan fraud with Indian banks and money laundering issues, is after all not having such a bad time in the UK.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/israels-el-al-appeals-against-air-india-flights-over-saudi-arabia-126815">Israel's El Al appeals against Air India flights over Saudi</a>

Israel's national airline El Al appealed to the Supreme Court on Wednesday to cancel the authorisation of direct Air India flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv via Saudi airspace fearing financial damage to it and view it as aerial discrimination.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/now-bcci-snubs-smith-warner-over-ball-tampering-126786">Now, BCCI snubs Smith, Warner over ball-tampering</a>

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has removed Steve Smith and David Warner from the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League and said that the franchises, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, will get the replacements.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-to-introduce-new-privacy-controls-in-wake-of-data-scandal-126804">Facebook to introduce new privacy controls in wake of data scandal</a>

Facebook, embroiled in a huge data scandal which has wiped off over $100 billion in its market value, on Wednesday announced a series of privacy changes it was making to give users more control over their data.

After Xi, Kim meeting, Trump says North Korean leader 'will do what is right for his people and for humanity' As Kim Jong Un met China's President Xi in Beijing in a secret, President Trump in a tweet said the North Korean leader will do "what is right and move toward peace". CBSE exam paper leak: PM Modi asks HRD minister to take 'strict action' The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be reconducting the Economics exam for Class XII and Mathematics exam for Class X after reports of paper leak surfaced. 'King of Good Times' Vijay Mallya to get married to girlfriend Pinky Lalwani Vijay Mallya, popularly referred to as the ‘King of Good Times’ who was believed to be going through a rough patch owing to his loan fraud with Indian banks and money laundering issues, is after all not having such a bad time in the UK. Israel's El Al appeals against Air India flights over Saudi Israel's national airline El Al appealed to the Supreme Court on Wednesday to cancel the authorisation of direct Air India flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv via Saudi airspace fearing financial damage to it and view it as aerial discrimination. Now, BCCI snubs Smith, Warner over ball-tampering The Board of Control for Cricket in India has removed Steve Smith and David Warner from the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League and said that the franchises, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, will get the replacements. Facebook to introduce new privacy controls in wake of data scandal Facebook, embroiled in a huge data scandal which has wiped off over $100 billion in its market value, on Wednesday announced a series of privacy changes it was making to give users more control over their data.

WION evening news brief, March 28, 2018

Air India Delhi-Kolkata flight received a bomb threat call on Wednesday afternoon. 

All passengers of AI-020 flight have de-boarded and are safe, according to news agency ANI.

The police are conducting a security check following the bomb threat. 

All passangers of AI-020 flight have de-boarded and are safe

Air India Delhi-Kolkata flight received a bomb threat call on Wednesday afternoon. All passengers of AI-020 flight have de-boarded and are safe, according to news agency ANI. The police are conducting a security check following the bomb threat.

Delhi-Kolkata Air India flight receives bomb threat, passengers safe

air-india

Air India, News on Air India, stories on Air India, articles on Air India, Air India stories at Wion, Air India news, Air India latest news

air india